Boris Johnson has warned a "tidal wave" of Omicron is coming as he urged eligible Brits to act now and get their booster shots in the battle to slow the rapid spread of the Covid-19 variant.
"We must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection ... there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," he said in a televised address to the nation.
The Prime Minister said the UK was facing an emergency against the variant as cases double every two to three days.
"We must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe."
Johnson announced the ‘Omicron Emergency Boost’ – a plan to offer every adult a booster by New Year’s Eve. From Tuesday all over 18s are eligible for their third vaccine jab in England as long their second was at least three months ago.
"No one should be in any doubt that there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," he said.
"It’s now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need. But the good news is that our scientists are confident that with a third dose, a booster dose, we can all bring our level of protection back up."
He added, "at this point our scientists cannot say that Omicron is less severe".
"And even if that proved to be true, we already know it is so much more transmissible than a wave of Omicron through a population that was not boosted would risk a level of hospitalisation that could overwhelm our NHS and lead sadly to very many deaths."
Johnson's televised address to the nation on Monday follows a further 1239 cases of the Omicron variant recorded as the UK's threat level was raised from Level 3 to 4. Level 4 means a high or rising level of transmission – and the last time the UK was at Level 4 was in May.
Earlier in the day the country’s top medics for the UK Health Security Agency warned that a large third wave of infections was "inevitable" and further restrictions may be needed.
Johnson did not announce any new Covid restrictions.
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