UK Omicron cases surpass 3,000 as Covid alert level raised
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An additional 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant have been reported in the UK – the highest daily increase.
Total cases of the variant have now hit 3,137 across the UK.
The Covid alert level has been raised to four from three, by the chief medical officers. This was down to a quick rise in cases of the variant and increasing risk from the virus.
The number of variant cases reported on Sunday nearly doubled a previous high recorded on Saturday.
Some 1,196 new cases were reported across England on Sunday with 2,953 overall recorded.
On Saturday, 633 new cases of the variant were confirmed across the country, with a total number of cases standing at 1,898.
One-in-three coronavirus cases in London are now the Omicron variant, education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.
There could be up to 160,000 cases of the variant in the country already, Zahawai said.
It has also now been confirmed that some people have been hospitalised after falling ill with the variant.
Over 30-year-olds will be able to book their third jab from Monday while rules are also changing about Covid contacts, meaning they will have to take rapid tests every day for a week.