UK records first death from Covid-19 omicron variant; Boris Johnson declares a state of emergency

The UK has recorded at least one death per Covid-19 linked to the omicron variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reported on Monday (13).

“Unfortunately, omicron generated hospital admissions, and unfortunately, at least one patient died of omicron,” he said during a visit to a vaccination clinic in London.

Speaking on Sunday (12), Johnson announced that the country is experiencing an “emergency in the fight against the new omicron variant”, and that the new strain will reach a “tidal wave”.

Amid the increasing number of cases, the UK has raised the alert level against Covid to four, which represents a high and increasing level of transmission of the disease. The last time the UK was at that level was in May.

Just yesterday, more than 1,200 new cases of omicron were confirmed in the country, bringing the total detected cases to 3,100 – 65% more than the 1,898 cases backlogged up to the day before.

“It is now clear that two doses of the vaccine are simply not enough to provide the level of protection we all need. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose, a booster dose, we can all increase our level of protection.”

In this scenario, the Prime Minister announced that, from this week, all British citizens aged 18 or over will be able to receive a booster dose of a Covid-19 immunizing agent, as long as there is a three-month interval after the second dose.

Read also: The study using the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines showed a decrease in antibodies against Omicron

The UK government announced last week new restrictions To contain the omicron variable spread. Among them is the recommendation to work remotely whenever possible to reduce movement.

The mandatory nature of indoor masks went into effect on Friday (10) and will also be valid in cinemas and theaters. The procedures also include entering the health passport at closed events, such as night parties.

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