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As UK mask mandates begin, officials warn that Omicron could become dominant strain

England could face a wave of COVID-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant.

Published

December 12, 2021

Omicron, China fallout send global markets lower

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed tighter restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge, measures which are likely to squelch economic activity - Copyright SPUTNIK/AFP Mikhail Metzel

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed tighter restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge, measures which are likely to squelch economic activity - Copyright SPUTNIK/AFP Mikhail Metzel

England could face a wave of COVID-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant leading to as many as 75,000 deaths by the end of April if no new control measures are brought in, according to modeling research published on Saturday.

Under the measures British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week, face masks are once again compulsory in indoor public spaces as of Saturday. Vaccination passes will be needed for nightclubs and large events starting next week, and residents will be told to work from home, if possible.

In addition to the new restrictions, the British government is offering everyone 18 and up a third, booster dose of vaccine to try to slow the spread of the virus, per the Associated Press.

An analysis of the efficacy of vaccines against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) was released on Friday. It was found that two doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines provided “much lower” levels of protection against Omicron when compared with the Delta variant.

However, the UKHSA said preliminary data showed vaccine effectiveness “considerably increased” in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70 to 75 percent protection against symptomatic infection.

As of 9 a.m. on Friday, there had been a further 58,194 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, the highest daily total since January. Out of that number, an additional 448 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been reported across the UK, the UKHSA said, bringing the total number to 1,265.

A breakdown of the cases shows 443 of the additional cases have been reported in England, one in Scotland, and four in Wales. No further cases have been reported in Northern Ireland.

And lastly, in research published on Saturday, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), which has not been peer-reviewed, suggested that under the most optimistic of forecasts there would be more than 2,000 daily hospitalizations and 24,700 deaths between Dec. 1 and April 30 if no further action is taken by the government, according to Reuters.

In this article:194 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases, 58, dominant variant, further action needed, mask mandates, united kingdom, Vaccinations

Written By Karen Graham

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.