Get back to the office or risk being ‘gossiped about’, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has urged people to get back to the office or risk being “gossiped about”.

With the Covid pandemic not threatening to overwhelm the NHS despite tens of thousands of new infections a day, the Government appeared to be stepping up its efforts to get millions more people back to their jobs in offices and other workplaces.

The Prime Minister told LBC Radio: “We are certainly encouraging people to get back to work in the normal way.

“That’s a good thing, for young people in particular it’s really essential to be in, if you are going to learn on the job, you can’t just do it on zoom.

“You have got to be able to come in...and know what everybody is talking about.

“Otherwise you are going to be gossiped about and you are going to lose out.

“You need to be there, to have the stimulus of exchange and competition.”

Mr Johnson stressed the Government was sticking to Plan A, rather than resorting to more restrictions such as encouraging people to work from home and compulsory mask wearing.

The official position has been to encourage a gradual return to the workplace over recent months.