At least one dead from Omicron as Britain boosts response
Published: 04:12 PM,Dec 13,2021 | EDITED : 08:12 PM,Dec 13,2021
People queue outside a Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, on Monday. — Reuters
LONDON: At least one person has died in Britain after being infected with the Omicron variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the country launched an ambitious Covid booster shot programme to stop the virus’ spread.
Britain — among the countries worst hit by the global health crisis since last year — is believed to be the first government to officially announce a death from the virus mutation.
On a visit to a vaccination centre in west London, Johnson said Omicron accounted for about 40 per cent of the cases in the British capital, and hospital admissions were rising.
“Sadly, at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” he told reporters, a day after warning the country was facing a “tidal wave” of infection.
Britain on Sunday sounded the alarm by raising the national Covid Alert Level because of high levels and rising rates of transmission.
In a rare televised address, Johnson said emergency measures were needed to prevent hospitals becoming overwhelmed in the weeks ahead.
All adults will now be able to receive a third dose of a Covid vaccine by the end of December after the government brought forward its deadline by one month.
But in a sign of huge demand, the National Health Service (NHS) vaccination booking site crashed and users requesting rapid testing kits were told they were out of stock.
Long queues were seen at London clinics. At one, Sarah Jackson, 29, said she had taken the morning off to get a jab before visiting her grandparents at Christmas.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be enough. I was told there is a queue of two hours to register and then two hours to get vaccinated,” she said.
“But I have to go back to work at 1:30 pm.” — AFP
Britain — among the countries worst hit by the global health crisis since last year — is believed to be the first government to officially announce a death from the virus mutation.
On a visit to a vaccination centre in west London, Johnson said Omicron accounted for about 40 per cent of the cases in the British capital, and hospital admissions were rising.
“Sadly, at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” he told reporters, a day after warning the country was facing a “tidal wave” of infection.
Britain on Sunday sounded the alarm by raising the national Covid Alert Level because of high levels and rising rates of transmission.
In a rare televised address, Johnson said emergency measures were needed to prevent hospitals becoming overwhelmed in the weeks ahead.
All adults will now be able to receive a third dose of a Covid vaccine by the end of December after the government brought forward its deadline by one month.
But in a sign of huge demand, the National Health Service (NHS) vaccination booking site crashed and users requesting rapid testing kits were told they were out of stock.
Long queues were seen at London clinics. At one, Sarah Jackson, 29, said she had taken the morning off to get a jab before visiting her grandparents at Christmas.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be enough. I was told there is a queue of two hours to register and then two hours to get vaccinated,” she said.
“But I have to go back to work at 1:30 pm.” — AFP