Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Covid-19: More than 10,000 new Omicron cases found in UK

Covid-19: More than 10,000 new Omicron cases found in UK

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.

Scientific advisers have warned England's hospital admissions could reach 3,000 a day without new measures.

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.

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.

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.

Latest daily data showed 900 patients with Covid were admitted to hospital in the UK.

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".

The advisers said indoor mixing was the "biggest risk factor" for the spread of Omicron, and that large gatherings risked creating "multiple spreading events".

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".

Ministers face big decision

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wales has also ordered nightclubs to close from 27 December.


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 restrictions


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 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."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×