Health officials in the UK announced on Sunday raising the COVID alert level due to a “rapid increase” in cases of the Omicron variant, which has prompted the government to announce new measures.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation in an address broadcast Sunday at 8:00 p.m. local time to take stock of the situation in the UK, where the total number of Omicron cases detected has reached 3,137, a 65% increase from the total of 1,898 cases recorded on Saturday.
Detected in the UK just over two weeks ago, Omicron should be the dominant variant within days, the government believes.
Faced with its rapid spread, the alert level has been raised from three to four, the second highest level, which indicates that “transmission is high” and that the pressure on health services is “significant or increasing. “.
“The first evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic diseases of Omicron is reduced,” said health officials in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a joint statement.
Omicron’s severity “will be clearer over the next few weeks,” but they note that there are “already” hospitalizations due to Omicron and that it is “likely” that their numbers are “increasing rapidly”.
Worried that the health services are overwhelmed, they are calling on Britons to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or to receive their booster shot as soon as possible.
The United Kingdom is particularly affected by the pandemic with more than 146,000 deaths and some 50,000 new infections recorded every day.
In his remarks, Boris Johnson is expected to take stock of the government’s efforts to combat the spread of Omicron, including the extension of the vaccine booster campaign to those over 30 from Monday.
The Ministry of Health also announced on Sunday that from Tuesday, fully vaccinated contact cases of people who test positive for COVID-19 will be asked to perform antigen tests daily for seven days. Those who are not vaccinated must remain isolated for ten days.
These announcements come in addition to other measures recently presented by Mr Johnson, including the return to telework and the introduction of the health passport in certain places.
Submitted to a vote by deputies on Tuesday, these new measures should be adopted thanks to the support of the opposition Labor party, but Boris Johnson is exposed to the mistrust of part of his conservative camp.
Among the rebels, MP Steve Baker considered the additional restrictions “disproportionate”.
“I really think the crux here is the type of society we are creating,” the former minister said on SkyNews, estimating that like him, around 60 Conservative MPs will vote against the new measures.
In addition to this sling in his ranks, Boris Johnson is weakened by a series of scandals linked to supposed parties in Downing Street last winter, when the British were supposed to limit social interactions to prevent the spread of the virus.
The British blame him in particular for a party which was allegedly organized in Downing Street on December 18, 2020 when they themselves were deprived of celebrations because of the coronavirus. A leaked video showing Boris Johnson collaborators joking about the “Christmas party” added fuel to the fire.
Britain’s top civil servant, Simon Case, is tasked with conducting an internal investigation and Boris Johnson has promised “consequences” for those who break the rules.
But on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror posted a photo of the Prime Minister in front of a screen in Downing Street, surrounded by two aides, one with a garland around his neck and the other appearing to be wearing a Christmas hat, during a quiz. which would have been organized on December 15, 2020.
It is “very difficult” to see how this event can have taken place “in the respect of the rules” then in force, underlined Sunday the leader of the Labor party, Keir Starmer.
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