A further 75 cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in England amid signs of a “small amount” of community infection, the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) has said.
The latest cases take the total for England to 104 and for the UK as a whole to 134 – including the first confirmed case in Wales.
The figures came as a risk assessment by the HSA rated the new Omicron variant as “red” for severity of infection and “amber” for transmissibility between humans.
It said the variant, first identified in South Africa, was likely to reduce the protection from both naturally or vaccine-acquired immunity.
Dr Jenny Harries said there are signs of a ‘small amount’ of community transmission (Matt Dunham/PA)
(PA Archive)
However it acknowledged that there is so far “insufficient data” to reach firm conclusions and the assessment was presented with “low confidence”.
The HSA said that in England Omicron cases have now been identified in East Midlands, East of England, London, North East, North West, South East, South West and West Midlands.
In Scotland there have been a…
