Health secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the Omicron variant is doubling every two days as he laid out further covid restrictions.

Javid said: “Scientists have never seen a covid-19 variant that’s capable of spreading so rapidly. So we have to look at what we can do to slow Omicron’s advance.

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting supported the measures and criticised backbench Conservative MPs who have spoken out against covid certifications, saying: “In light of comments made in recent days by at least one Conservative MP comparing these measures to the situation in Germany in the 1930s, I would just say it should not be for me as the shadow secretary of state to point out that we are not living in the 1930s.”

Plans for covid passports passed by 369 votes to 126, with over 100 noes coming from Conservative backbenchers.