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Covid: First UK death recorded with Omicron variant | Covid: First UK death recorded with Omicron variant |
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Boris Johnson confirms a patient has died with Omicron in UK | Boris Johnson confirms a patient has died with Omicron in UK |
At least one person in the UK has died with the Omicron coronavirus variant, the prime minister has said. | At least one person in the UK has died with the Omicron coronavirus variant, the prime minister has said. |
Boris Johnson said the new variant was also resulting in hospital admissions and the "best thing" people could do was get their booster jab. | Boris Johnson said the new variant was also resulting in hospital admissions and the "best thing" people could do was get their booster jab. |
Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs Omicron now represented 20% of cases in England. | Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs Omicron now represented 20% of cases in England. |
On Sunday, the PM set a new target for all adults in England to be offered a booster by the end of the month. | On Sunday, the PM set a new target for all adults in England to be offered a booster by the end of the month. |
On Monday, Mr Johnson said people needed to recognise "the sheer pace at which [Omicron] accelerates through the population" and added that they should set aside the idea Omicron was a milder variant. | On Monday, Mr Johnson said people needed to recognise "the sheer pace at which [Omicron] accelerates through the population" and added that they should set aside the idea Omicron was a milder variant. |
The UK recorded 54,661 new coronavirus cases on Monday, as well as 38 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. | The UK recorded 54,661 new coronavirus cases on Monday, as well as 38 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. |
There are 4,713 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, Mr Javid said. | |
Omicron has risen to over 44% of cases in London and the variant is expected to become the dominant coronavirus variant in the city in the next 48 hours, he said. | |
How do I book my vaccine booster? | How do I book my vaccine booster? |
Is a million boosters a day achievable? And other questions | Is a million boosters a day achievable? And other questions |
Johnson: I broke no rules over Christmas parties | Johnson: I broke no rules over Christmas parties |
What are the new Covid rules across the UK? | What are the new Covid rules across the UK? |
On Monday, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed 10 people had been admitted to hospital in England with the Omicron variant. | On Monday, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed 10 people had been admitted to hospital in England with the Omicron variant. |
Their ages ranged from 18 to 85 years old and the majority had received two doses of a Covid vaccination, the agency said. | Their ages ranged from 18 to 85 years old and the majority had received two doses of a Covid vaccination, the agency said. |
As hospitalisations and deaths lag behind infections by about two weeks, Mr Javid said the country could "expect those numbers to dramatically increase in the days and weeks that lie ahead". | |
England's booster programme has been expanded in response to the new variant, with online bookings for boosters opened for over-30s on Monday, while 18 to 29-year-old will be able to book online from Wednesday. | |
The health secretary described the UK as in a "race between the virus and the vaccine" and he said that the vaccination push would come with "difficult trade-offs" - with primary care services focusing on urgent clinical needs and vaccines. | |
The prime minister's official spokesman said that while there would be some "disruption", cancer treatments would not be affected by the requirement to re-deploy staff. | |
While the government has set a target of offering a booster jab to every adult in England by the end of December, Mr Javid said this was "asking a huge amount" of NHS staff and added that it would not mean every person would necessarily get their vaccine by that date. | |
Mr Javid also announced that the NHS Covid pass would be rolled out to 12 to 15-year-olds for international travel. | |
The NHS website crashed on Monday after more than 110,000 people tried to book their booster before 09:00 GMT, the government said. | |
There have also been long queues at walk-in centres and new orders for lateral flow tests on the government website have been temporarily suspended due to high demand. | |
Mr Javid said limits on ordering tests were linked to delivery capacity, not due to a shortage of the tests themselves, and that new arrangements had been reached with Amazon and others to increase this. | |
There have been long queues at some walk-in vaccination centres | There have been long queues at some walk-in vaccination centres |
From Tuesday, people who are fully vaccinated will be advised to take daily tests if they are identified as a contact of someone who has Covid. | |
Over-18s can now also get their booster at some walk-in centres in England - as long as it has been three months since their second dose. | |
As well as the expansion of boosters, new Plan B measures have been introduced in England to slow the spread of Omicron: | As well as the expansion of boosters, new Plan B measures have been introduced in England to slow the spread of Omicron: |
People are being advised to work from home if they can, bringing England into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland | People are being advised to work from home if they can, bringing England into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland |
Rules on face masks have already been tightened and they are now mandatory in most indoor public places, including theatres and cinemas | Rules on face masks have already been tightened and they are now mandatory in most indoor public places, including theatres and cinemas |
From Wednesday, subject to parliamentary approval, Covid passes will be required to get into nightclubs and other large venues | From Wednesday, subject to parliamentary approval, Covid passes will be required to get into nightclubs and other large venues |
Around 70 Conservative MPs have signalled they could oppose some of the new measures in a Commons vote on Tuesday, particularly mandatory Covid passes. | Around 70 Conservative MPs have signalled they could oppose some of the new measures in a Commons vote on Tuesday, particularly mandatory Covid passes. |
However, Labour has said it will back the plans, so they will almost certainly be approved. | However, Labour has said it will back the plans, so they will almost certainly be approved. |
The prime minister visited a vaccination clinic in west London on Monday | The prime minister visited a vaccination clinic in west London on Monday |
The prime minister has repeatedly declined to rule out further restrictions ahead of Christmas. | |
Wales' chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton has warned that curbs on people socialising may have to be reimposed in response to the Omicron variant. | |
How many Covid cases are there in the UK? | How many Covid cases are there in the UK? |
How do I book my vaccine booster? | How do I book my vaccine booster? |
What are the new Covid rules across the UK? | What are the new Covid rules across the UK? |
UK alert level raised to four - what does that mean? | UK alert level raised to four - what does that mean? |
What are the new working from home rules? | What are the new working from home rules? |
Data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants, with cases doubling in the UK every two to three days. | Data suggests Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants, with cases doubling in the UK every two to three days. |
The booster rollout has been accelerated in response to Omicron, after early analysis suggested two doses of a Covid vaccine were not enough to stop people catching the variant. | |
A third booster dose gives around 70% to 75% protection against symptomatic infection with Omicron, analysis by the UK Health Security Agency found. | |
The UK's Covid alert level has been raised to level four - which means a high or rising level of transmission - for the first time since May due to the spread of Omicron. | The UK's Covid alert level has been raised to level four - which means a high or rising level of transmission - for the first time since May due to the spread of Omicron. |
To reach the government's boosters target, one million doses would have to be administered a day. | To reach the government's boosters target, one million doses would have to be administered a day. |
More than half a million booster jabs and third doses were given in the UK on Saturday, the second day that has happened since the booster rollout began. | More than half a million booster jabs and third doses were given in the UK on Saturday, the second day that has happened since the booster rollout began. |
Some 750 armed forces personnel have been made available to support the booster rollout in England and Scotland. | Some 750 armed forces personnel have been made available to support the booster rollout in England and Scotland. |
And England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam has written to everyone who previously volunteered to help the vaccine rollout to encourage them to return to help with the booster programme. | And England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam has written to everyone who previously volunteered to help the vaccine rollout to encourage them to return to help with the booster programme. |
Scotland is also aiming to offer booster vaccine appointments to all over-18s by the end of the year, while Wales is trying to ramp up its rollout to meet the same target. In Northern Ireland, over-30s are now eligible for booster jabs. | Scotland is also aiming to offer booster vaccine appointments to all over-18s by the end of the year, while Wales is trying to ramp up its rollout to meet the same target. In Northern Ireland, over-30s are now eligible for booster jabs. |
In other developments: | In other developments: |
British tennis star Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from a tennis event after testing positive for Covid-19 | British tennis star Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from a tennis event after testing positive for Covid-19 |
Working from home guidance has come in for people in England from Monday with road traffic and public transport footfall falling sharply | Working from home guidance has come in for people in England from Monday with road traffic and public transport footfall falling sharply |
Manchester United is in discussions with the Premier League over whether it is safe for its match at Brentford to go ahead after a Covid outbreak | Manchester United is in discussions with the Premier League over whether it is safe for its match at Brentford to go ahead after a Covid outbreak |
How have your plans changed due to the Omicron coronavirus variant? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | How have your plans changed due to the Omicron coronavirus variant? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
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