An approaching wave of Covid-19 infections brought on by the new Omicron variant is covered across much of the national newspapers on Friday, but with a sprinkling of Christmas cheer in recognition of our second festive season celebrated under restrictions.
The Irish Times leads with Government preparations in anticipation of the impact of the newest wave of infections, with record daily case numbers expected over the coming days.
The Irish Examiner, meanwhile, looks to the rollout of the booster vaccines after Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed on Thursday that almost half of the country's adult population have now received the additional dose.
Turning its gaze from Covid, The Echo instead goes with Christmas fundraising. The paper's two lead stories cover the efforts of students in Cork in raising money for the elderly, alongside a piece on the Cork Penny Diners who insist "nobody will go hungry" in the city this Christmas.
'Twas the night before Christmas... and all through the Mail were a host of great news and sports stories and fabulous features to get you in the festive mood https://t.co/wKUyK4A9A5 pic.twitter.com/VoqTej8O6q
— The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) December 23, 2021
Also leading with the vaccine programme, The Irish Daily Mail reports Ireland is on track to administer over two million booster jabs by Christmas Day.
Morning readers! Stay with @beltel for all your breaking news. Here's a look at the front page of the Belfast Telegraph this morning:https://t.co/ZFlfbJQwqj pic.twitter.com/ugg9cGi5hO
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) December 24, 2021
The Belfast Telegraph's front page covers the "grave concerns" of Kevin Lunney and his fellow Quinn Industrial Holdings directors over a documentary on the "rise and fall of Seán Quinn".
Our bumper Christmas Eve edition includes 16-page St Stephen’s Day Leopardstown Racing pullout and three-day festive TV guide pic.twitter.com/HiI3u5tkBz
— Irish Daily Star (@IsFearrAnStar) December 24, 2021
Finally, The Irish Daily Star dedicates much of its front page to the suspected murder-suicide in Co Donegal after the bodies of two men were found at a house in Letterkenny on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the UK national papers are running with more new Omicron findings amid record cases and a quietening of lockdown calls.
The Guardian leads with a plea for caution from the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) despite the results. Although the UK Health Security Agency study found the risk of hospital admission is up to 70 per cent less with Omicron than Delta, Sage warned a 90 per cent drop in severity may be needed for the wave to stop short of the UK’s previous hospitalisation peak.
Guardian front page, 24 December 2021: Keep your celebrations small, doctors urge Britons pic.twitter.com/V1Zw3RegCR
— The Guardian (@guardian) December 23, 2021
The Daily Telegraph adds to its report of the same study with comments from insiders that it is “increasingly unlikely” new rules will be introduced before New Year’s Eve. The i also highlights the optimistic findings, with the paper saying it eases the “threat” of restrictions in England after Christmas.
📰The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
'New Year's Eve likely to escape new curbs'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/wHsObig3SI— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 23, 2021
I WEEKEND: New hope on Omicron as lockdown threat eases #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/S6hvdNLDNz
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 23, 2021
But the Financial Times, also leading with the new study, says British prime minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet is “deadlocked” over the question of post-Christmas curbs.
Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, for Friday 24th December pic.twitter.com/2fktYFPEeN
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) December 23, 2021
As the country also battles with worker shortages due to isolation requirements, The Independent features new figures revealing NHS staff absences have risen by 50 per cent in a week as hospitalisations rose.
INDEPENDENT DIGITAL: Hospitals feel strain #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/41xbJQvvLc
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) December 23, 2021
The Daily Mail has a very royal-focused front page on Christmas Eve, running with the Sussexes’ new family photo and a preview of Britain's Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Day message.
Friday’s @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/SyzP62e8fC
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) December 23, 2021
The Daily Mirror follows a similar royal theme, but focusing instead on the queen's first Christmas since the death of her husband, Prince Philip.
Tomorrow's front page: Always by her side#tomorrowspaperstoday https://t.co/6IuGR4mHve pic.twitter.com/eO3o8oWsgt
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 23, 2021
And the Daily Star says Nasa is being urged “to help astronauts have more sex in space”.
Tomorrow's Daily Star front page: Thrusters to warp speed, captain.https://t.co/WwbM6gf25z pic.twitter.com/kLQRPQa9Tl
— Daily Star (@dailystar) December 23, 2021
