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Covid-19: More than 10,000 new Omicron cases found in UK Covid-19: More than 10,000 new Omicron cases found in UK
(about 1 hour later)
A major incident has been declared in London and more than 10,000 new Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, as the variant surges across the country.A major incident has been declared in London and more than 10,000 new Omicron cases have been confirmed in the UK, as the variant surges across the country.
A further 90,418 daily Covid cases have been reported across the UK on Saturday, after days of record highs.A further 90,418 daily Covid cases have been reported across the UK on Saturday, after days of record highs.
Cabinet ministers have been briefed on the latest Covid data. Scientific advisers have warned England's hospital admissions could reach 3,000 a day without new measures.
London's mayor said he was "incredibly concerned" by the city's infection levels and the major incident was "a statement of how serious things are". London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the major incident in the capital showed "how serious things are".
Ministers received a briefing on the latest Covid data on Saturday afternoon - with a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee due to be held this weekend.
How many cases are there in my area?How many cases are there in my area?
Action needed to limit hospital admissions - Sage scientistsAction needed to limit hospital admissions - Sage scientists
'We're not looking forward to doing it all again''We're not looking forward to doing it all again'
Sadiq Khan said Friday's 26,000 new cases in London were having an impact on staff absences for the capital's emergency services. Restrictions "similar in scale to the national lockdown" would be required to keep hospital admissions from Covid below previous peaks, modelling advisers to the government said, in newly-released minutes.
He said that NHS trusts, councils, the fire service, police and City Hall were "incredibly concerned by the huge surge in the Omicron variant". Without intervention beyond current Plan B rules in England, hospitalisations could reach 3,000 a day, members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergency (Sage) added.
In this context, the major incident status would allow organisations to work more closely together, he added. Latest daily data showed 900 patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in the UK.
Meanwhile, police officers suffered minor injuries during "scuffles" at a protest against coronavirus restrictions at Westminster. The Sage advisers said further measures to curb the spread of Omicron could include "reducing group sizes, increasing physical distancing, reducing duration of contacts and closing high-risk premises".
This video can not be played The advisers said indoor mixing was the "biggest risk factor" for the spread of Omicron, and that large gatherings risked creating "multiple spreading events".
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. They warned delaying the introduction of stricter measures until 2022 would "greatly reduce the effectiveness of such interventions and make it is less likely that these would prevent considerable pressure on health and care settings".
Watch Sadiq Khan as he declares a major incident in London over Omicron
Latest government data has shown there are 1,534 Covid patients in London hospitals - up 28.6% on last week - with about 200 new admissions per day.
Ministers have been warned England's hospital admissions could reach 3,000 a day without new measures.
Saturday's data - which included the second-highest number of cases since mass testing began last year - also saw another 125 deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test, down slightly on a week ago.
The World Health Organization has said the Omicron variant has been identified in at least 89 countries - and is spreading significantly faster than the Delta strain.
It is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, it added.
In England, modelling indicates hospital admissions could peak at at least 3,000 a day without intervention measures beyond the Plan B rules currently in place, advisers from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said in the leaked minutes of a meeting held on Thursday.
The current Plan B rules for England include Covid passes for certain events, face masks in more places and people being urged to work from home if they can.
The other nations of the UK have already brought in similar rules - and Scotland has gone further by asking people to limit social contact to three households at a time in the run-up to Christmas. Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close from 27 December.
Ministers face big decisionMinisters face big decision
A huge and difficult decision is about to be made - to continue as we are or to impose new restrictions.A huge and difficult decision is about to be made - to continue as we are or to impose new restrictions.
Omicron is spreading rampantly with the number of people infected doubling every two days.Omicron is spreading rampantly with the number of people infected doubling every two days.
Even though vaccines will undoubtedly protect many, the sheer scale of the wave is the threat.Even though vaccines will undoubtedly protect many, the sheer scale of the wave is the threat.
The government has been presented with, at times grim, estimates of what's could happen in the coming weeks. The government has been presented with, at times grim, estimates of what could happen in the coming weeks.
Its science advisers warn continuing with Plan B could lead to the number of people being infected each day peaking between 600,000 and two million, which could put the NHS under intense pressure.Its science advisers warn continuing with Plan B could lead to the number of people being infected each day peaking between 600,000 and two million, which could put the NHS under intense pressure.
The advice says scenarios ranging from lockdown with schools open to restrictions on indoor gatherings and reducing the number of people we can meet could temper the wave.The advice says scenarios ranging from lockdown with schools open to restrictions on indoor gatherings and reducing the number of people we can meet could temper the wave.
The hope is any further restrictions would be short lived - either relaxed if Omicron proves to be less of a threat than feared or used to buy time for everyone to get a booster vaccine.The hope is any further restrictions would be short lived - either relaxed if Omicron proves to be less of a threat than feared or used to buy time for everyone to get a booster vaccine.
Omicron is still shrouded in uncertainty - the estimate of deaths under Plan B is incredibly wide, ranging from 600 to 6,000 a day.Omicron is still shrouded in uncertainty - the estimate of deaths under Plan B is incredibly wide, ranging from 600 to 6,000 a day.
But the problem is there is little time to find out more as cases are increasing so rapidly.But the problem is there is little time to find out more as cases are increasing so rapidly.
Omicron is now thought to now be the dominant variant in England and Scotland, replacing Delta. Current Plan B rules for England include Covid passes for certain events, face masks in more places and people being urged to work from home if they can.
Over 800,000 booster doses were reported for the second consecutive day on Saturday, with 817,625 third jabs. Other nations of the UK have similar rules - and Scotland has gone further by asking people to limit social contact to three households at a time in the run-up to Christmas.
Meanwhile, epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson, who is a government adviser but was not involved in Thursday's Sage meeting, said the true number of infections was likely to be much higher than those reported - and might be 300,000 a day. Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close from 27 December.
On hospital admissions, he said there had been a significant surge in the London region, which was ahead of the rest of the country in terms of the spread of Omicron. Sadiq Khan said record cases in London were having an impact on staff absences for the capital's emergency services.
The mayor said NHS trusts, councils, the fire service, police and City Hall were "incredibly concerned by the huge surge in the Omicron variant".
In this context, the major incident status would allow organisations to work more closely together, he added.
There were 1,534 Covid patients in London hospitals as of Friday - up 28.6% on last week - with about 200 new admissions per day.
Meanwhile, police officers suffered minor injuries during "scuffles" at a protest against coronavirus restrictions at Westminster.
Protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, with many calling for an end to all coronavirus restrictionsProtesters gathered in central London on Saturday, with many calling for an end to all coronavirus restrictions
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme in a personal capacity, Prof Ferguson said there were concerns "we'll be heading into something which has the risk of overwhelming the public health service". Omicron is now thought to now be the dominant variant in England and Scotland, replacing Delta.
The UK Health Security Agency confirmed seven people with Omicron have died so far in England.
Saturday's data - which included the second-highest number of cases since mass testing began last year - also saw another 125 deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test, down slightly on a week ago.
Meanwhile, over 800,000 booster doses were reported for the second consecutive day on Saturday, with 817,625 third jabs.
The Liberal Democrats said the government needed to "come clean with the public about what Omicron means for Christmas".The Liberal Democrats said the government needed to "come clean with the public about what Omicron means for Christmas".
The party's health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: "Ministers must act now to protect NHS staff and ensure that urgent NHS services are available to everyone over the Christmas period.The party's health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: "Ministers must act now to protect NHS staff and ensure that urgent NHS services are available to everyone over the Christmas period.
"The government should explain what additional public health protections are needed to bring the NHS back from the brink of collapse, and urgently get support to struggling businesses.""The government should explain what additional public health protections are needed to bring the NHS back from the brink of collapse, and urgently get support to struggling businesses."
Hannah Essex, co-exec director at the British Chamber of Commerce, told BBC Breakfast further restrictions would need to come with a package of support for businesses.
She said the past 20 months had been "absolutely brutal" for businesses and doing nothing was not an option.
"They were just starting to see things pick up and this is the point at which we could see them fall over the edge. And that would be such a terrible shame and will inevitably lead to job losses as well," she added.
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