UK's daily Covid-19 infections cross 100,000 for the first time

The UK on Wednesday crossed another COVID-19 record as its daily coronavirus infections crossed the 100,000 mark for the first time since the pandemic began, overtaking the previous daily high of 93,045 last week, driven by the rapidly transmissible Omicron variant.

The official tally reports 106,122 COVID cases, with 8,008 people in hospital with coronavirus as of Tuesday, up 4 per cent from a week ago. Meanwhile, there were 140 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive COVID test, which have so far maintained a downward trend.

The figures also include a record number of boosters and third doses of COVID vaccines as of Tuesday, with 968,665 delivered and taking the overall total to more than 30.8 million.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated his "Get Boosted Now" stance as he ruled out further lockdown restrictions ahead of Christmas, but warned that additional measures may be required next week, once more data around the severity of Omicron becomes available.

It comes as government advisers have recommended that vulnerable five to 11-year-olds be offered a new paediatric formulation of the COVID vaccine. The UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the vaccination should be given to children at higher risk of COVID-19.

"Children aged 5 to 11, who are in a clinical risk group or who are a household contact of someone (of any age) who is immunosuppressed, should be offered a primary course of vaccination, JCVI said.

The children should be given an age-appropriate dose of 10-microgram doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a third of the adult dose, with an interval of eight weeks between the first and second doses, the statement said.

The JCVI recommendation came as UK regulators approved the new age-appropriate formulation of the vaccine for use in children aged five to 11. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found such a jab to be safe and effective.

The JCVI said further advice regarding the jab for other five to 11-year-olds will be issued in due course after consideration of additional data, and on the Omicron variant more broadly.

It has also recommended that booster jabs be offered to 16 and 17-year-olds as well as to people aged 12 to 15 who are in a clinical risk group; or who are a household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed; or who are severely immunocompromised and who have had a third primary dose.

So far, all adults in the UK are being offered three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and younger age groups of 12 and over are offered one or two doses.