UK COVID-19 cases hit record high for third day as Omicron spreads

People queue up to travel on trains at London St Pancras International rail station, in London, the Eurostar hub to travel to European countries including France, Dec. 2021. - Copyright AP Photo/Matt Dunham

By Euronews

Published on 17/12/2021 - 18:32

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The UK registered more than 93,000 COVID-19 cases as the new Omicron variant spreads.

The United Kingdom registered a new record number of COVID-19 cases as the highly transmissible Omicron variant surges.

There were 93,045 cases in 24 hours in the country, an all-time high for the third day in a row.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said that they could expect records to continue being broken as Omicron spreads.

While researchers say Omicron proliferates more quickly than the previous Delta variant, it is unknown if it is more severe.

Around 81 per cent of the UK's population aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated against the virus.

But there are worries that vaccines are less effective against this variant and preliminary evidence indicates that there's an increased chance of reinfection for people who have already had COVID-19.

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