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The chief govt of the UK Well being Safety Company has warned that the unfold of the Omicron variant of coronavirus was “most likely probably the most vital menace we’ve had for the reason that begin of the pandemic”.
Chatting with the Commons transport choose committee on Wednesday, Dr Jenny Harries stated the an infection charge was doubling in lower than two days in most components of the UK, including: “The numbers that we see on information over the subsequent few days will probably be fairly staggering in comparison with the speed of progress that we’ve seen in circumstances for earlier variants.”
In accordance with the newest figures from the UK Well being Safety Company, a complete of 5,346 Omicron circumstances have been confirmed throughout the UK, however the company has estimated that there could already be about 200,000 Omicron circumstances every day.
The UKHSA additionally stated on Wednesday that extra Covid-19 assessments can be made out there, after a surge in demand as a result of Omicron wave swamped the federal government’s on-line reserving platform for 3 days in a row.
Round 900,000 residence deliveries of each PCR and lateral circulation take a look at kits will probably be made every day from Saturday, double the present stage, the UKHSA stated. The availability of lateral circulation assessments to pharmacies may also double to greater than 10m per week and reserving slots at PCR testing websites will improve by as much as 100,000 per day from Thursday.
Regardless of the quickly rising case numbers, Boris Johnson insisted on Wednesday that the newest set of restrictions to gradual the unfold of Omicron have been “proportionate”.
On Tuesday, the prime minister suffered a humiliating backbench insurrection over the so-called Plan B guidelines, with round 100 Tory MPs voting in opposition to the requirement for a unfavourable take a look at outcome or vaccine certificates to enter mass occasions.
After the measures handed with the assistance of Labour votes, opposition chief Sir Keir Starmer stated throughout prime minister’s questions on Wednesday that Johnson was now “too weak to steer” the nation by way of the disaster.
Starmer additionally stated the prime minister lacked the “ethical authority” to ship the tough message to the general public that the brand new guidelines have to be adhered to after the latest revelations that a number of events have been held in Whitehall final winter at a time when social gatherings have been severely restricted. Johnson dismissed the criticism as “partisan trivia”.
The Tory insurrection over Plan B is being seen as a warning that many MPs may resist strikes to introduce additional restrictions, even when the pandemic worsens.
Johnson sought to guarantee MPs that they might have a say in any further rule adjustments, whereas Downing Avenue rejected any recommendations that additional measures might be launched in England imminently.
“It stays our place that there aren’t any plans to transcend what parliament voted for yesterday and we have already got in place,” the prime minister’s spokesperson stated on Wednesday. “The main focus for us, now that we now have these Plan B measures in, is on the booster programme.”
Johnson is because of maintain a press convention in Downing Avenue with Professor Chris Whitty, the federal government’s chief medical adviser, on Wednesday at 5pm.
The prime minister additionally introduced on Wednesday that retired Court docket of Attraction decide and crossbench life peer Baroness Heather Hallett would chair the general public inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. It is because of begin within the spring.
Further reporting by Oliver Barnes
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