The United Kingdom has increased its Covid-19 alert level on Sunday strengthening its booster rollout and warning that the data on Omicron infections is much unlike that of earlier variants.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a new target offering all adults a third shot by the end of December – a month earlier than originally planned after previously cutting the interval between second and third doses from six months to three.
“No-one should be in any doubt: There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming,” Johnson said on Sunday. “But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose — a booster dose — we can all bring our level of protection back up.”
New guidelines area set to come into play today including work from home, previously lifted mask mandates for public transportation and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for attendees of large events.
So far, the UK has reported 3,137 cases of the Omicron variant with about 10 people hospitalized. Overall, Covid-19 cases has surpassed 50,000 a day.
