LONDON, (Reuters) – London’s central shopping district and entertainment district predicts a quiet final weekend for Christmas trading. After customer traffic plummeted on Thursday, the Omicron coronavirus variant kept people home.

According to The New West End Company which represents 600 restaurants, brands and businesses from London’s West End and reported that footfall was lower on Thursday than the week before and 32% less than pre-pandemic.

Britain expressed its concern first about Omicron on Nov. 25, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed stricter COVID-19 limitations in England on December 9, ordering citizens to stay at home, use masks when in public and using vaccine passes to stop the spread.

“With rising COVID cases dampening consumer confidence and a planned Tube strike looming on Saturday, we’re anticipating a muted final weekend of Christmas trading at a time when West End businesses should be enjoying a much needed boost,” CEO Jace Tyrrell said on Friday.

He joined other calls to have the UK government provide financial support for leisure business owners.

Official figures released Friday showed that British retail sales rose quicker than anticipated last month due to Black Friday discount, Christmas shopping early and no lockdown restrictions.

Omicron is concerned about Christmas trading.

Currys, a consumer electronics retailer, stated Wednesday that its market has softened over the past weeks. Boohoo, an online retailer of fashion, warned Thursday about annual profits.