UK reserves possibility of taking further action amid Omicron surge: PM

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the government reserves the "possibility of taking further action" to protect public health because of the raging spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

In his remarks on Monday, the Prime Minister said he is following the data "hour by hour" and warned the rules could still be tightened in the days to come, reports Xinhua news agency.

Britain reported 91,743 coronavirus cases in the last 24-hour period, the second highest recorded daily number ever, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 11,518,116, according to official figures.

Another 8,044 Omicron cases have been detected in the UK, taking the total tally to 45,145, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed.

The country also reported a further 44 fatalities, raising the national death toll to 147,722.

Meanwhile, Ministers have reportedly pushed back against calls from scientific advisers for new measures to tackle the Omicron variant before Christmas.

Around one third of the cabinet are said to be reluctant to support new restrictions in the coming days, with Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak among them, according to The Times newspaper.

The government's advisory scientists have warned extra restrictions are needed "within days" to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by Omicron.

More than 89 per cent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first vaccine dose and over 81 per cent are fully inoculated, according to the latest figures.

Some 50.4 per cent have received the booster shot.

--IANS

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