The United Kingdom faces an “omicron emergency.”
This was stated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this Sunday in a televised statement hours after the health authorities raised from three to four the level of alert to the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
“I am afraid that we are now facing an emergency in our fight against the new omicron variant,” Johnson said in a message broadcast by the BBC One channel, in which he also urged the population to receive booster vaccines.
“Now it is clear that two doses of the vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection that we all need. But the good news is that our scientists trust that with a third dose, a booster dose, we will all be able to increase our level of protection again ”, he explained.
The last time the United Kingdom was it was at level four last May.
Previously, the health authorities of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland recommended raising the alert level because the virus is spreading from a accelerated form.
The risks of contagion are measured using a system of five color-coded levels: the fourth, painted orange, is a high or increasing level of transmission.
This system is independent of any Government decision on the toughening of the regulations.
The concern of the health authorities is based on the fact that the first data show that omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that the protection of the The vaccine against the symptomatic disease of this new variant is reduced.
“Data on severity will become clear in the coming weeks, but hospitalizations for omicron are already occurring and they are likely to increase rapidly. The National Health Service is currently under pressure for non-covid cases “, indicated the authorities.
” But, with a variant that is spreading with greater transmissibility and lower efficacy of the vaccine, this pressure is likely to grow soon. ”
Those responsible for public health urged the population to get vaccinated and receive a booster dose to those who already are. They noted that people should keep rooms ventilated, wear masks, get regular tests, and self-isolate when symptoms occur.
The recommendation is based on the fact that the first data show that the administration of a third booster dose prevents about 97% of people present some symptoms of covid by omicron.
Those older than 30 years in England and Scotland will be able to schedule their booster doses from Monday, and in Scotland the range between 18 and 29 years by the middle of this week.
Wales, like England and Scotland, aims to deliver booster shots to all adults by the end of January, while Northern Ireland already is doing it p For older than 30 years and without prior appointment.
In the United Kingdom, more 500. 000 booster vaccines, on the second day since the deployment of the third dose application began .
The self-isolation rules in England have also been updated again.
As of Tuesday, fully vaccinated people who come into contact with someone infected with covid They will not have to be self-isolating automatically, but will undergo daily tests for seven days.
This is the last change in the regulation after the government to introduce new measures of Plan B, including covid passports for some mass events and the return to remote work from home.
For their part, Wales and Scotland have said that new rules could arrive in the coming weeks.
Previously, the Secretary of Education, Nadhim Zahawi, said that there are people hospitalized with omicron and that the variant represents a third of the cases in London.
When asked if he could guarantee that all schools would be open in January, Zahawi said that he would do “everything possible”, but did not say so.
Scientists have stated that, without further restrictions, the United Kingdom faces a major wave of omicron in January and that by April the number of deaths from the variant could range between 25. 000 Y 75.000, depending on the effectiveness of the vaccines.
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