Another 633 Omicron cases have been confirmed in Britain, the biggest daily increase since the COVID-19 variant was detected in the country, taking the total number of cases found in the country to 1,898, British health authorities said Saturday (Dec. 11).
The latest data came as experts are warning Omicron could cause between 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England by the end of April if no extra measures are brought in.
The UK health security agency (UKHSA) estimated that if Omicron continues to grow at the present rate, the variant will become the dominant strain, accounting for more than 50% of all COVID-19 infections in the country by mid-December.
It is also projected that if current trends continue unchanged, Britain will exceed one million Omicron infections by the end of this month.
Britain reports 54,073 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 10,771,444, according to official figures released Saturday.
The country also reported a further 132 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 146,387, with 7,413 COVID-19 patients still in hospital.
More than 89% of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 81% have received both doses, according to the latest figures. More than 39% have received booster jabs, or the third dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia, and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. (Xinhua) – jlo
