At least one Omicron patient has died, confirms Boris Johnson
The Prime Minister has confirmed that at least one patient now has died with the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Speaking during a visit to a vaccination clinic near Paddington , Boris Johnson said: “Sadly yes Omicron is producing hospitalisations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron.”
It was not confirmed whether the patient had died specifically from the virus.
Further details of the person’s age, gender, and health background have also not yet been revealed.
The most recent reports from South Africa suggest the Omicron variant could be milder than the Delta variant, with evidence of slowing infection rates since it first emerged last month.
However, Johnson argued the first reported death reflected the serious nature of the new variant, and urged people to get boosters.
He said: “So, the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that’s something we need to set on one side and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population. “
According to the data, 7,315 people were hospitalised on December 9, which is five times less than the peak of over 38,000 in January this year.
Nevertheless, the government remains on high alert, with the UK’s coronavirus alert level raised from 3 to 4 – only one notch below the maximum severity level.
Health secretary Sajid Javid has revealed Omicron makes up 40 per cent of new cases, with 1,239 Omicron cases reported on Sunday night.
The government has also warned some non-urgent NHS care may be cancelled as the UK ramps up its vaccine capacity to compete with the fast-spreading Omicron Covid variant.
The country is already facing a historic backlog in NHS appointments, with nearly six million people waiting for treatments and surgeries according to NHS England data.
It is now aiming to vaccinate a million people every day from this week to ensure the country manages to offer all eligible adults a booster before the end of the year.