(London) The UK is in a “deeply worrying situation” with more than 58,000 new COVID-19 infections recorded on Friday, unheard of since January, Housing Minister Michael Gove said after ‘a crisis meeting.
During this meeting, which he chaired and which was devoted to the health situation, the heads of government of the various nations of the United Kingdom learned “very difficult information”.
Never seen since January
“We know that we have the highest number of COVID-19 infections in the UK recorded today since January 9,” the minister said on television.
The number of Omicron variant cases “doubles every two or three days in England, and perhaps even faster in Scotland,” he also noted.
In England, “30% of the cases reported in London are of the Omicron variant” which was identified in the country only a fortnight ago.
The variant is spread in a way that even those who are doubly vaccinated are likely to “end up sick, infected and potentially hospitalized.”
Minister Michael Gove
To curb its spread, Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced a tightening of restrictions, including the return to telework from Monday and the introduction of the vaccine passport for certain large gatherings in England.
146,000 dead
The United Kingdom, one of the most bereaved countries in Europe with more than 146,000 dead since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, had already reintroduced measures to fight Omicron, such as border restrictions, in to the dismay of the tourism and transport sectors, and the wearing of masks in shops and public transport.
In Scotland, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced tightening of the rules to fight the spread of Omicron, explaining that its rapid and high transmissibility raised fears of a “tsunami of contaminations”, which could overwhelm hospitals.
Starting Saturday, people living in the same household as someone who tests positive will have to self-isolate for ten days, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not, or have a negative PCR test.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has said Omicron is expected to become the dominant variant in the UK by mid-December. In a press briefing on Friday, the UKHSA said if current trends continue, the UK will surpass one million Omicron variant infections by the end of the month.