Public sector in UK told to prepare for a quarter of workforce to be absent due to COVID-19

The UK's public sector is being told to prepare for up to a quarter of the workforce being absent due to COVID-19 illness, or isolation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Buckinghamshire, 29 december, 2021. Source: AAP

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked ministers to work closely with their departments to develop 'robust' contingency plans for staff absences due to COVID-19.

The plans should be tested against a worst-case scenario of 25 per cent of staff away from work due to illness or isolation, said the Cabinet Office, which is coordinating the government's efforts.

With daily infection numbers at a record high and people who test positive required to self-isolate for at least seven days, the government expects businesses and public services to face disruption in the coming weeks, it said in a statement.

The impact of Omicron on workforces in supply chains, public services and schools is being closely monitored, it said. Mitigations being considered include asking for volunteers such as retired teachers to go back to work.

"There is work ongoing to identify potential regulatory, policy or operational changes which could minimise or alleviate potential disruption," the Cabinet Office said.

The daily number of new COVID-19 infections across the United Kingdom rose to a record 189,846 on Friday, far higher than during previous peaks.

However, hospitalisations and deaths have remained at much lower levels than in previous waves.