Vast majority of Britons have NO PROTECTION against Omicron - Daily Mail

Vast majority of Britons have NO PROTECTION against Omicron: After 100 days two AstraZeneca doses offer virtually zero defence while two Pfizer jabs provide just 37% protection against new variant – but boosters cut risk of falling ill by 75%

• People with just their first two AstraZeneca jabs have almost no protection against the Omicron variant
• But getting third shot can boost protection against the highly-transmissible strain to above 70 per cent
• The Health Security Agency has warned that public failing to get boosters could overwhelm health service 
• Analysis most promising sign yet that Omicron wave of hospital admissions will not surpass previous peaks 

By William Cole and Connor Boyd Deputy Health Editor and Laurence Dollimore For Mailonline

Published: 00:59 GMT, 11 December 2021 | Updated: 09:34 GMT, 11 December 2021

Millions of Britons have effectively no protection against the Omicron Covid variant, health experts have warned as the public was urged to get their booster jabs - despite chaos on the NHS booking site meaning some can't get jabs until Christmas Eve. 

The highly-transmissible mutant strain is likely to make up most cases of Covid in Britain over the next two weeks, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a report yesterday, and could reach one million infections by the end of this month. 

It comes as leaked advice from the body, sent to health secretary Sajid Javid, called for 'stringent national measures' to be brought in by December 18.

While the government said there were no imminent plans for more restrictions when Plan B was announced this week, Michael Gove warned on Friday that the government had been shown 'very challenging information' about the speed of Omicron's spread at a Cobra meeting.  

And while Covid booster jabs have been shown to be effective against Omicron, there are concerns that the millions of people who are yet to get their third inoculation could be unprotected against the virus without it.

Government scientists compared 581 cases of Omicron in Britain with 56,000 of Delta to give preliminary estimates of how well vaccines protect against a variant with mutations that help it evade the body’s immune response.

They found that the mostly elderly people who had two doses of AstraZeneca several months ago had almost no protection against Omicron infection, and two Pfizer doses offered little more than 30 per cent. 

But a third dose, if using Pfizer, can take protection levels back up to 71 per cent in those who had AstraZeneca the first time around and 76 per cent for those who had Pfizer.

This has led experts to urge people to get their third jabs, but many eligible over-40s have been unable to book appointments until Christmas Eve due to chaos on the booking site. 

People in the age group who had their second dose at least three weeks ago were invited to book their top-up jabs yesterday as part of No10's drive to reach all adults by the end of January to fight off the Omicron variant.

But pictures shared with MailOnline show some have been left unable to secure a vital booster via the health service's website for at least another two weeks.

One man in his 40s, living in Hemel Hempstead, was unable to get his booster until December 24 — the earliest available appointment in his area. The booster programme has been fraught with difficulties throughout the rollout, with people under-40 getting boosters in defiance of NHS guidelines. And scores of over-40s have been turned away from appointments booked online, forcing health service officials to crack down and stop clinics rejecting anyone who is eligible.

It comes as health experts are advising the government to bring in tougher measures next week.  

In a document marked 'official, sensitive', sent from UKHSA to Mr Javid, seen by the Guardian, the body warns: 'The key point is that under a range of plausible scenarios, stringent action is needed on or before 18 December 2021 if doubling times stay at 2.5 days. Even if doubling times rise to around 5 days, stringent action is likely still needed in December.'

It adds: 'The rapid spread of Omicron means that action to limit pressures on the health system might have to come earlier than intuition suggests.'

According to its calculations, even if Omicron causes a less severe hospitalisation rate of 1 per cent or 0.5 per cent, compared with Delta’s 1.5 per cent, then 'stringent national measures' would be needed by December 18 at the latest. 

In other developments in the Covid pandemic yesterday:

• The number of cases of super-mutant Omicron jumped by 54 per cent yesterday and overall daily Covid infections breached levels not seen since the UK's devastating second wave;
• London has the country's fastest growing Omicron outbreak with infections up in all of the city's 32 boroughs;
• Tory whips have been scrambling to persuade MPs to back new coronavirus curbs amid fears Boris Johnson could suffer a rebellion of more than 50 MPs over the measures;
• Nicola Sturgeon warned of an impending 'tsunami of infections' if the Omicron variant becomes completely dominant in Scotland within days;
• Communities Secretary Michael Gove said care home residents will be banned from seeing more than three named visitors in an attempt to protect them from Omicron;
• Number 10 announced that it had cancelled this year's Christmas party but insisted that the public could still have theirs.

With cases of the variant doubling every three days in Britain, health chiefs are urging people to use testing and social distancing to avoid a spike in cases over Christmas.  

Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease, said on Saturday that Omicron is spreading so fast that people are 'very likely' to meet someone infected with the Covid-19 variant unless they are 'living the life of a hermit'.

The University of Edinburgh academic also warned 'a lot of people' could still end up in hospital even if the coronavirus mutation proves to provoke milder symptoms than the Delta variant.

Prof Riley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Omicron is spreading so quickly that, I think, unless you are living the life of a hermit, you are very likely to come across it in the next few weeks.

'I don't think anyone should be going around thinking they are not going to catch it, I think that situation has changed.'

She added: 'There is a huge 'if' about this, 'is it milder?'. I think it is very dangerous to compare data from South Africa, say, to the UK. 

Millions of Britons have effectively no protection against the Omicron Covid variant from their first two jabs, health experts have warned as the public was urged to get their booster jabs to avoid overwhelming the health service this Christmas. Government scientists found that the mostly elderly people who had two doses of AstraZeneca several months ago had almost no protection against Omicron infection, and two Pfizer doses offered little more than 30 per cent.

Professor Neil Ferguson, the Imperial College London epidemiologist, has warned that the Omicron variant has the potential to 'very substantially overwhelm the NHS' and cause up to 10,000 hospitalisations a day if it is as virulent as Delta

Yesterday 469,479 booster jabs were reported, the second highest so far, taking the rolling average to a record high of 392,585. UK Government analysis suggests that booster jabs offer up to 75 per cent protection against mild illness caused by the super Omicron variant. Pictured: A community vaccination centre in White City, West London

Professor Paul Hunter (left), of the University of East Anglia, warned that though Omicron was less severe than previous variants, 'a steep rise in cases will lead to a steep rise in hospitalisations'. Imperial College London epidemiologist Neil Ferguson (right) warned that the Omicron variant has the potential to 'very substantially overwhelm the NHS' and cause up to 10,000 hospitalisations a day if it is as virulent as Delta

The above graph shows vaccine effectiveness against mild illness and weeks since vaccination. The analysis showed a Pfizer booster provides between 70 and 75 per cent protection against mild Omicron illness, regardless of which vaccine was originally used, compared to 90 per cent for Delta. Two doses of Pfizer may offer just 37 per cent protection after three-and-a-half months compared to 60 per cent for Delta. Two shots of AstraZeneca offered virtually no protection after the same amount of time. But the scientists caution that data for AstraZeneca was less reliable due to the fact the vaccine was restricted in some age groups and typically used at the very start of the initial vaccine rollout in vulnerable people

Care home visits cut to three per resident: After start of Plan B crackdown, Plan C has already arrived

Care home residents will be banned from seeing more than three named visitors in an attempt to protect them from the Omicron variant.

Last night's move was the first additional restriction – dubbed Plan C – introduced since Plan B measures to tackle rising Covid-19 cases were announced this week.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove hinted last night that further curbs could be brought in if infections continue to increase.

He said: 'We recognise the importance of balancing people's ability to get on with their lives with the need to protect them against this virus.

'But action is absolutely required and as new data comes in we will consider what action we do require to take in the face of that data.'

New guidelines mean care home residents who are unvaccinated will also be forced to isolate for two weeks on their return if they go on a trip out. 

Even residents who are fully jabbed will have to take a lateral flow test on alternate days for a fortnight if they leave homes.

Current guidelines do not place any restrictions on family and friends visiting their loved ones in care homes. According to official guidance, the homes are expected 'to facilitate visits wherever possible and to do so in a risk-managed way'.

But the Government announced last night the number of visitors will be limited to three per resident, plus an essential caregiver. It is understood this will come into force from Wednesday.

Campaigners criticised the move for forcing relatives to make the 'devastating' choice of which family members can see loved ones for what may be their last Christmas.

'Even if it is milder and, therefore, a smaller proportion of infected people end up in hospital, given that so many people are going to come across this virus, even a small proportion of a lot of people is a lot of people in hospital.' 

Her warning comes as a hospital ward has been closed to new admissions due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

NHS Highland said that Ward 7a at Raigmore Hospital, in Inverness, is closed to new admissions and visiting following the detection of a small number of cases of Covid-19.

Patients are being clinically assessed and monitored with normal in-patient care continuing.

The NHS spokesman said: 'There is no evidence of any link between these cases and those in ward 5a, which also remains closed to new admissions and visiting.'

Tests are establishing whether any of the cases are of the Omicron variant and the results are expected next week.

Consultant microbiologist Adam Brown said: 'The fact that we have apparently unrelated instances of Covid-19 in two different wards shows how prevalent the virus is in the community at the moment.

'It is more important than ever to keep to guidance about distancing, hand-washing and wearing a face covering.'

All appropriate infection prevention and control measures have been put in place and close contacts have been identified and given advice and support.

Meanwhile, Wales has said it will remain on alert level 0 despite a warning the country is facing a new wave of infections caused by the Omicron variant.

People were urged to get their booster jabs during a press conference on Friday by First Minister Mark Drakeford, who said it was the best protection against the new variant.  

He added: 'Every single vaccination is a small victory against the virus - so please make getting your vaccine or booster a priority.'

People will be asked to continue wearing face coverings in all public places and take regular lateral flow tests before going out help protect others in the lead-up to Christmas.

Those who test positive are strongly advised to not go out, self-isolate and arrange for a PCR test.

Mr Drakeford said: 'The emergence of the Omicron variant is another worrying development in this long-running pandemic. We are concerned about the speed it is moving and its potential to infect large numbers of people. 

'We are speeding up the rollout of boosters in response to the new variant. We're increasing the number of clinics and extending opening hours.'

He added: 'We are not back at square one.

'Please do everything you can to protect yourself and your loved ones. Please follow all the advice and all the measures which have kept us safe over the last couple of years. And let's stay safe and well this Christmas.'

The Welsh Government say more than a million people have already received their booster vaccine. There remains only a handful of Omicon cases in Wales - nine are currently confirmed.

Ministers have said preparations must be made for cases to rise quickly and sharply given there is now widespread community transmission in many parts of England and Scotland.

It comes as Professor Neil Ferguson, the Imperial College London epidemiologist, has warned that the Omicron variant has the potential to 'very substantially overwhelm the NHS' and cause up to 10,000 hospitalisations a day if it is as virulent as Delta.

Ferguson, who has been referred to as Professor Lockdown because of his support for imposing restriction on life to block viral transmission, said the UK was already experiencing a 'very explosive wave of infection' from the new variant.

The number of hospitalisations this would cause depends on the severity of disease caused by Omicron, he added.

However, while more transmissible as a virus, it appears Omicron does not have the higher level of severity of other mutations, meaning deaths and hospitalisations have remained lower. 

'It does seem to be somewhat less likely to put you into hospital than previous variants,' Professor Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, told The Times. However, he added that 'a steep rise in cases will lead to a steep rise in hospitalisations.'

Yesterday 469,479 booster jabs were reported, the second highest so far, taking the rolling average to a record high of 392,585.

UK Government analysis suggests that booster jabs offer up to 75 per cent protection against mild illness caused by the super Omicron variant.

Experts are confident that three doses will provide significantly greater immunity against severe illness and death from the highly-evolved strain. It was also confirmed that none of the UK's 1,265 Omicron infections have led to hospital admission or death so far.

The real-world analysis by the UK Health Security Agency looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron and compared their vaccine status to a control group of people who tested positive for Delta.  

It estimated that a Pfizer booster provides between 70 and 75 per cent protection against mild Omicron illness, regardless of which vaccine was originally used, compared to 90 per cent for Delta.

Two doses of Pfizer may offer just 37 per cent protection after three-and-a-half months compared to 60 per cent for Delta. Two shots of AstraZeneca offered virtually no protection after the same amount of time.

But the scientists caution that data for AstraZeneca was less reliable due to the fact the vaccine was restricted in some age groups and typically used at the very start of the initial vaccine rollout in vulnerable people.

UKHSA experts who carried out the study said that while it was disappointing that Omicron weakened existing jabs to some extent, the new variant is not as vaccine-evasive as initially feared. 

UK Health Security Agency data shows that Omicron may now be behind 8.5 per cent of infections. The figures are based on the proportion of PCR tests failing to detect a specific gene, an early indicator of the variant. PCRs look for three genes to confirm a Covid infection, but with Omicron one is so mutated that they only pick up two of them

Public Health Scotland estimates the new variant will be dominant next week, accounting for more than 50 per cent of all Covid cases, and make almost all new infections by the end of the year

Omicron makes up 13.3 per cent of Covid cases in Scotland and is doubling every two to three days

They warned, however, that because the strain can slip past the immune systems of people with waning protection, it is on track to become dominant in days.

The agency estimates that the variant is double every two to three days and that Omicron case numbers will exceed one million by the end of the month.

The researchers were unable to determine how much protection the vaccines offered against serious illness, hospitalisations and deaths due to the small number of Omicron cases in the UK and the lag between infection and severe outcomes.

But Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UKHSA, said: 'We expect the vaccines to show higher protection against the serious complications of COVID-19, so if you haven't yet had your first two doses please book an appointment straight away.'

Previous experience with the Delta strain suggests that protection against hospitalisation after two doses is well maintained, even when it drops against mild illness. 

However, experts warn that even slight reductions in vaccine efficacy against severe disease could dramatically increase the number of vaccinated people who will fall seriously unwell.

Up to 4,000 Britons are catching Omicron each day 

As many as 4,000 Britons may be catching Omicron every day with the super-variant on track to replace Delta in in a matter of days, official data suggests — as the mutant pushes Scotland's Covid cases to a three-month high.

The highly-evolved virus is now behind 8.5 per cent of coronavirus cases across England and 13.3 per cent north of the border, and is doubling every two to three days.

With an average 48,000 Britons testing positive for Covid every day, it suggests more than 4,000 of them are the new Omicron variant — even though fewer than 1,000 cases have been confirmed. 

Scotland, which along with London has become one of the UK's Omicron hotspots, today reported 5,018 positive Covid tests, which is the highest number in three months and double the number a week ago. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today told Scots to brace for a 'tsunami' of infections, as she warned the new super-variant posed a 'severe challenge'.

At a press conference in Edinburgh, she said: 'The fact is we do face a renewed and very severe challenge in the face of the new Omicron variant. To be blunt, because of the much greater and faster transmissibility of this new variant, we may be facing – indeed we may be starting to experience – a potential tsunami of infections.' 

In SAGE papers published this week, Government scientists said: 'If omicron reduces vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation from 96 to 92 per cent, that would effectively double the number of vaccinated individuals who are not protected from hospitalisation.'  

It came as the number of cases of the super-mutant jumped by 54 per cent in a day and overall daily Covid infections breached levels not seen since the UK's second wave.

Nicola Sturgeon today warned of an impending 'tsunami' triggered by the highly-transmissible variant. Cases north of the border have doubled in a week.

She announced entire families in Scotland will have to self-isolate for 10 days if one member of the household tests positive for coronavirus to help tackle the strain and keep a lid on the impending crisis.

Meanwhile, UK-wide statistics showed cases have risen by 15 per cent in a week to 58,194 — making it the highest daily toll since the darkest depths of January, when Britain was being battered by the Alpha variant but had yet to dish out any vaccines.

Hospitalisations crept up by six per cent on last week but deaths fell by around 16 per cent over the same time-frame. Both measures are just a fraction of the level seen during previous waves because of the success of jabs but will rise over the coming weeks because of a delay between getting infected and becoming seriously ill.

Health chiefs today recorded another 448 cases of Omicron, taking the official toll to 1,265. The true toll will be much higher because not every sample is rigorously analysed in a lab. 

Separate estimates suggest the real toll could be more than 4,000 cases per day based on evidence showing the strain is already making up nearly 13 per cent of new infections. 

It came as it emerged that the UK Government is already working on a 'Plan C' of Covid restrictions, just days after Boris Johnson triggered his 'Plan B'. 

Michael Gove is due to hold a COBRA meeting this afternoon with the first ministers of the devolved administrations to discuss the latest Covid data and the UK response.

But No10 insists it has 'no plans' for a Plan C or a circuit breaker lockdown over Christmas. The Prime Minister's official spokesperson said: 'We think the Plan B measures are the right approach and strike the right balance.' 

Tory whips scramble to persuade MPs to back new coronavirus curbs as fears grow that Boris Johnson could suffer his 'biggest rebellion' yet 

Tory whips were last night scrambling to persuade MPs to back new coronavirus curbs amid fears Boris Johnson could suffer his ‘biggest rebellion’ yet.

More than 50 backbenchers are poised to vote against the Plan B measures to counter the Omicron variant, with particular anger at plans for vaccine passports.

MPs have said the curbs – which also include an extension of mask-wearing and the return to working from home – are ‘illiberal’ and ‘unnecessary’.

Last night a minister told the Daily Mail that Conservative whips are engaged in a ‘massive ring round’ in a desperate bid to quell the revolt. ‘[Plan B] will lead to probably the biggest rebellion in this Parliament so far, although the irony is we will win the vote by a huge amount because Labour is voting with us,’ they said.

‘But there’s a big operation going on to stop the rebellion growing beyond 40, which is the threshold for losing your majority.’ 

The minister said some ‘anti-Boris’ backbenchers are using Tuesday’s vote as ‘an opportunity to bash him’ – and warned the Prime Minister may face a leadership challenge next year.

‘If we lose the North Shropshire by-election and we do badly in the local elections in May, then I think that’s much more terminal.’ 

As well as fury at the Plan B measures, many MPs are angry at the way Downing Street has handled allegations of Tory sleaze, the ‘Wallpaper-gate’ row and reports of Christmas parties in No10.

Mask-wearing became mandatory in cinemas, theatres and places of worship yesterday, and work from home guidance will return on Monday. 

Covid passports will come into force for large venues from Wednesday. One rebel, Tory former minister David Jones, said of Plan B: ‘It’s unnecessary. It’s illiberal. I’m not entirely sure when it comes to Covid passports what they are meant to achieve.’

Ex-minister Steve Baker, a prominent figure in the Covid Recovery Group of Conservatives, said: ‘I am not expecting to be lonely when I vote against Plan B but we do need MPs to vote against, not abstain.’

And Karl McCartney said he would not support the ‘draconian impositions on our hard fought freedoms’. Amid the opposition, Downing Street yesterday insisted it was not introducing ‘vaccine passports’ but rather ‘certification which requires either a vaccination or a negative test’.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘Evidence from Sage, from Public Health England research reports, shows that the use of certification means a lower probability that an individual’s infectious and that therefore they will be less likely to spread Covid in these venues.’

 

Omicron already makes up 30 PER CENT of all new Covid cases in London as figures show capital has country's FASTEST growing outbreak with infections up in ALL of city's 32 boroughs and hospitalisation rates now starting to creep up

ByLuke Andrews Health Reporter For Mailonline 

Omicron already makes up 30 per cent of new Covid cases in London, according to confidential data given to ministers that underlines the severity of the situation Britain faces in the run-up to Christmas as fears grow that even tougher restrictions may be needed.  

UK leaders today were dragged into a Cobra meeting to discuss the next logical steps in fighting the pandemic, and analyse the most up-to-date evidence on the super-mutant strain. 

Communities Secretary Michael Gove, who held the briefing virtually after testing positive himself, warned the current crisis was 'deeply concerning', naming London and Scotland as hotspots. He described the latest data presented to the devolved nations as 'very challenging new information'. 

Stark projections show the super-mutant variant could become dominant within days, prompting concerns that Boris Johnson will have no choice but to hit the panic button once more. 

No10 has already brought in its back-up Plan B strategy, reimposing work-from-home guidance and making face masks compulsory in more venues. Officials have repeatedly refused to rule out acting further.

Tougher options could replicate ones introduced last Christmas in the face of the second wave, which effectively cancelled Christmas for millions living in areas worst-hit by Alpha, such as London. 

London also appears to be faring badly this time around, with Omicron thought to blame for Government data showing the capital has the England's fastest growing Covid outbreak. All of the city's 32 boroughs are seeing cases tick upwards, and Omicron has been found in every corner of the city. 

Hospitalisations and deaths in the capital remain flat but both measures lag behind by several weeks because of how long it can take for someone who has caught the virus to become seriously unwell. 

Public health chiefs in the capital say they are taking the new threat 'extremely seriously', and that it could take over in the city in as little as two weeks.

Scotland is the other Omicron hotspot, with concerns of a 'tsunami' of cases prompting Nicola Sturgeon to today introduce stricter self-isolation rules. Announcing that entire families will now have to self isolate if one member of their household tests positive for the virus, she said the variant could become dominant within days.  

‹ Slide me ›

The above shows the percentage change in the Covid infection rate across London's 32 boroughs in the week ending November 27, and December 4. Cases are surging in every borough. For comparison, a month ago they were only rising in 10

But hospitalisations in the city are yet to tick up and remain level with around 110 new admissions recorded every day on average, according to the latest data. But in a sign of what could be to come on December 7, the latest available, there were 148 admissions which was a 40 per cent rise on the same time last week

London's Covid deaths are also yet to tick up, official data shows. But these are lagging indicators because it takes a few weeks for someone who has caught Covid to become seriously unwell and sadly die from the disease

The number of PCR tests carried out in London has risen 15 per cent in a week but the positivity rate — the number that detect the virus — has remained level suggesting there is a real-terms surge in cases. The above graph shows the number of lateral flow tests completed which has remained level so far

Speaking following this afternoon's Cobra briefing, Mr Gove said: 'The meeting I've just chaired with First Ministers of all the devolved administrations was presented with some very challenging new information.

'We know that we have the highest number of Covid infections across the UK recorded today since January 9. We know the Omicron variant is doubling every two to three days in England, and possibly even faster in Scotland.

'We know that 30 per cent of reported cases in London are the Omicron variant and of course we only identified Omicron in this country a fortnight ago.'

Meanwhile, Britain's total Omicron cases surged by 54 per cent in a day with another 448 confirmed. It took the official toll past 1,200 but health chiefs admit the true figure will be up to 20 times higher, with surveillance data suggesting it already makes up at least 10 per cent of new cases - the equivalent of 4,000 people per day. 

It comes after Britain's Covid cases rose 15 per cent in a week today with another 58,194 recorded as the mutant strain takes hold. Hospitalisations rose by six per cent in seven days with 839 admissions, and deaths fell by more than a tenth.

But in a promising sign a study found booster jabs may be 70 to 75 per cent effective at stopping infections with the Omicron variant.

The above graph shows Covid cases in London. They are starting to tick up as the more transmissible Omicron variant begins to spread in the capital

The above graph shows the % change in London's average infection rate. The capital has the fastest growing outbreak in the country, after Omicron was detected in every borough

Boosters DO beat Omicron and cut risk of falling ill by 75%

Booster Covid jabs offer up to 75 per cent protection against mild illness caused by the super Omicron variant, official UK Government analysis revealed tonight.

Experts are confident that three doses will provide significantly greater immunity against severe illness and death from the highly-evolved strain.

In people who had their second dose more than three months ago, effectiveness against symptomatic disease could be lower than 40 per cent for Pfizer and virtually zero for AstraZeneca.

But officials stress that even two vaccines should still offer high protection against severe illness, in the most promising sign yet that the incoming wave of hospital admissions and deaths will not surpass previous peaks.

There is now growing optimism among No10 scientists that Plan B restrictions and the booster campaign will be enough to avoid more draconian curbs. It was also confirmed that none of the UK's 1,265 Omicron infections have led to hospital admission or death so far.

The real-world analysis by the UK Health Security Agency looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron and compared their vaccine status to a control group of people who tested positive for Delta.

It estimated that a Pfizer booster provides between 70 and 75 per cent protection against mild Omicron illness, regardless of which vaccine was originally used, compared to 90 per cent for Delta.

Two doses of Pfizer may offer just 37 per cent protection after three-and-a-half months compared to 60 per cent for Delta. Two shots of AstraZeneca offered virtually no protection after the same amount of time.

But the scientists caution that data for AstraZeneca was less reliable due to the fact the vaccine was restricted in some age groups and typically used at the very start of the initial vaccine rollout in vulnerable people.

UKHSA experts who carried out the study said that while it was disappointing that Omicron weakened existing jabs to some extent, the new variant is not as vaccine-evasive as initially feared.  

Department of Health's coronavirus dashboard shows infections in London rose by 25.3 per cent in the week to December 4, the latest available.

This was the quickest out of England's nine regions, with London followed by the East (up 16.8 per cent) and the South East (13.4 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, cases are rising by 6.8 per cent in the North East and 7.6 per cent in Yorkshire and the Humber. 

The figures are based on specimen date, or when someone tested positive. For this reason, the statistics always lag behind the current situation by around five days. 

London's infection rate — the number of cases per 100,000 people spotted in a week — stood at 474.7 in the most recent week of data.

This means it is the highest since January, when Britain was in the darkest depths of the second wave but had yet to mount any serious vaccination programme. 

PCR testing rates have jumped slightyl but the positivity rate has remained at eight per cent, suggesting the rise is genuine.

But in more proof that vaccines have drastically changed the game, hospitalisations in the capital are just a fraction of rates seen during previous peaks.

On average, 117 Covid-infected Brits are being admitted to hospital in London each day currently. This is up 22 per cent from a fortnight ago, when Omicron was first detected in South Africa. 

But Covid deaths in the capital are still hovering around 10 a day, with the elderly and immunocompromised known to be most at risk of dying. 

Long-awaited figures from the UKHSA show 890 suspected or confirmed Omicron cases have been detected in the capital to date, with it spotted in every borough. 

Omicron cases are confirmed via genome sequencing. But PCR tests can also indicate someone is infected with the mutant strain. The gold-standard swabs search for three genes to confirm a Covid infection. But in Omicron one of these does not show up, suggesting that someone is infected with this variant.

Barking and Dagenham have the most Omicron cases in the capital (55), followed by Greenwich and Lewisham (both 53) and Newham (52).

Omicron will be behind virtually every coronavirus infection in Scotland within 10 days, shocking latest forecasts showed as Nicola Sturgeon warned of an incoming 'tsunami' of variant cases and slapped Scots with more curbs.

Steeling the country for worse to come she said at a gloomy press conference: 'The fact is we do face a renewed and very severe challenge in the face of the new Omicron variant. 

'To be blunt, because of the much greater and faster transmissibility of this new variant, we may be facing – indeed we may be starting to experience – a potential tsunami of infections.' 

She added: 'Indeed, I think we can now say with some confidence that we expect it to overtake Delta within days, not weeks – we estimate this could be as early as the very beginning of next week.' 

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Illinois: 'Mass casualty incident' after Amazon warehouse roof collapses 'with 100 staff working inside' - Sky News

At least five people have died as severe weather believed to be tornadoes hit multiple US states and emergency crews in Illinois are responding to reports of injuries at an Amazon warehouse after the roof collapsed.

Three people died in Tennessee, while one person died and several were injured when an apparent tornado hit a nursing home in Arkansas, and at least one fatality has been reported in Missouri

Several buildings collapsed in southwestern Kentucky in the community of Mayfield, with several people reported stuck inside a damaged candle factory.

Image: Around 100 employees were thought to have been working the night shift at the time of the collapse

Footage from local TV stations showed dozens of emergency vehicles at the Amazon centre near Edwardsville, about 25 miles west of St Louis.

Some 100 employees were believed to have been working the night shift at the time of the collapse, an official told local TV station KTVI-TV.

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It was not immediately clear if or how many people were hurt, but the Collinsville, Illinois, Emergency Management Agency called it a "mass casualty incident" on Facebook.

Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said in a statement that the company was assessing the situation.

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He said: "The safety and well-being of our employees and partners is our top priority right now."

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also tweeted: "My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources."

It has not yet been confirmed if there are any injuries, but one person was flown by helicopter to a hospital.

Edwardsville Police Chief Mike Fillback said several people who were in the building were taken by bus to the police station in nearby Pontoon Beach for evaluation.

The Amazon centre opened with two warehouses in 2016, with 1.5 million sq ft of space, according to the Belleville News-Democrat.

Image: Strong thunderstorms have wreaked havoc in Illinois

The warehouses are used to store items, before then being shipped to mail-order customers.

It comes after severe weather - including a thunderstorm and a tornado - ripped through the wider St Louis area.

Winds of up to 70mph were reported in parts of the counties of St Charles and St Louis in Missouri.

At least three St Charles County residents were taken to hospital and several homes in the area near Augusta were damaged.

Further storms were reported in Arkansas, with several places in the Midwest also reporting tornados.

At least one person died died after a reported tornado ripped through a nursing home in Arkansas.

And in Tennessee, two storm-related fatalities were reported in Obion County in the state's northwestern corner, said Dean Flener, spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

He added that he had no details on the deaths.

Craighead County judge Marvin Day told The Associated Press that a tornado struck the Monette Manor nursing home in Arkansas at about 8.15pm, trapping 20 people inside as the building collapsed.

Five people had serious injuries, and a few others had minor ones, he said.

"It looks like it's pretty much destroyed," Mr Day said of the building.

"It happens quick but apparently there was a little bit of time with tornado sirens going off."

Some residents were found in the basement "and were prepared for this", he added.

The storms caused additional damage as they moved through Tennessee and into Kentucky.

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2021-12-11 06:33:45Z
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Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Fourth accuser Annie Farmer tells court British socialite told her to undress and massaged her breasts when she was 16 - Sky News

Ghislaine Maxwell's fourth accuser has recalled the moment she was left "frozen" after the British socialite allegedly told her to undress and massaged her breasts.

Warning: This report contains graphic descriptions of alleged sexual abuse of a child.

Annie Farmer, who is the only one of four accusers to give evidence under her full name, has testified that Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein forced themselves on her when she was 16.

Image: In this courtroom sketch, Annie Farmer testifies on the witness stand. Pic: AP

Ms Farmer told a federal court about a 1996 visit to the disgraced financier's New Mexico ranch where Maxwell rubbed her breasts and Epstein climbed into bed with her, and another incident in New York where he rubbed her shoe in a cinema.

Maxwell, a former girlfriend of Epstein, is on trial in New York facing eight charges, including six counts of enticing minors and sex trafficking, all of which she denies.

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"Caressing" her hand and "rubbing" her shoe

Ms Farmer, now 42, told the court that before even meeting Epstein, he bought her a plane ticket to visit her sister Maria, who was one of his employees at the time, in New York in 1995.

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She recalled meeting him on the trip and sitting next to him in a cinema, where he reached for her hand and started "caressing" it before "rubbing" the bottom of her shoe, foot, and leg.

"I felt sick to my stomach," she said.

Image: Photos of Maxwell massaging Epstein's foot were shown in court

The trip to New Mexico, meeting Maxwell and Epstein wanting to 'cuddle'

Ms Farmer, who now works as a therapist, told the court that Epstein paid for a flight for her to go to his New Mexico ranch in 1996.

Image: Epstein's Zorro Ranch in New Mexico

She said she was "eager not to go" but had been told Maxwell would be there, which made her feel "more comfortable".

She recalled feeling "special", being taken shopping where she was bought a pair of cowboy boots, and going to the cinema.

Asked if there were any other things she remembered from the trip, Ms Farmer said: "The other memory I have is being in bed in the morning and suddenly Epstein opened my door in this playful way and said he wanted to cuddle, and climbed into bed with me and reached his arms around me and pressed his body into me."

She said she made an excuse to go to the bathroom, adding: "I wanted to be in there long enough that hopefully, this whole situation would be over."

Image: Maxwell is a former girlfriend of Epstein

'She told me to get undressed'

While at the ranch, Ms Farmer said "it was decided that I would give Epstein a foot massage".

"Maxwell wanted to show me how to rub his foot because that was something she thought I should learn how to do," she said.

"I felt very uncomfortable - I didn't want to be touching his foot. I wanted to stop and I was hoping it would be over quickly."

Ms Farmer recalled how, after a conversation about massages, Maxwell, 59, allegedly said she "would be happy" to give her one before telling her to "get undressed".

Image: A photo of a massage table shown to the court

"She started rubbing my body and rubbing my back and my legs and she's making small talk, and at some point during the massage she had me roll over so I was lying on my back," she said.

"She pulled my sheet down and exposed my chest and rubbed my chest and my upper breasts."

Ms Farmer said she felt "frozen" and "surprised", adding: "I wanted so badly to get off the table and have this massage be done."

The prosecution has now rested its case and the trial will continue next week.

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2021-12-10 21:18:19Z
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South Africa records fewer severe Covid cases in Omicron wave - Financial Times

South Africa has recorded fewer severe cases in the Omicron wave of coronavirus infections sweeping the country’s economic hub compared to earlier in the pandemic, according to the latest data, although the health minister said it remained early days for assessing the variant’s severity.

Just under a third of Covid patients in hospital in Tshwane, the centre of the country’s Omicron outbreak, needed specialist care or spent time in an intensive care unit in the past 25 days, compared with two-thirds in two previous waves this year, South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases said on Friday.

Four per cent of patients died, compared with a fifth in the other waves of infection, according to the data.

South Africa has a large number of prior infections from the past waves, and relatively high rates of older South Africans have been jabbed in recent months, even though only just over a third of all adults are double vaccinated.

South African scientists believe that both have been factors in limiting Omicron’s impact so far. Although initial studies suggest Omicron reduces antibody protection from vaccination or prior infection, experts are optimistic that immune defences against severe illness will be maintained.

But they have also cautioned that it will still take time to gauge the full impact of Omicron on hospitalisations because it has spread much faster than the other two variant-driven waves.

South Africa’s seven-day average of new daily cases has risen about forty-fold since the middle of November, to about 13,000 a day.

“It must be noted that severity data has several limitations at the early phase of a wave, where the numbers are small”, and because many Covid-19 patients were only found with the virus after being admitted for something else, health minister Joe Phaahla said in a briefing on Friday.

“It’s early days, but there are promising signs that largely patients, even those who are in hospital, are mild and many of them are incidental,” he added.

In recent weeks the over-60s have risen to more than 16 per cent of total admissions, from under 14 per cent, while admissions of children under five have fallen from 14 per cent to 7 per cent, according to data released on Friday.

Dr Harsha Somaroo, president of the Public Health Association of South Africa, said the emerging hospital data from the country was “reassuring”.

“The early findings suggest that [Omicron] might be milder,” said Somaroo. “In Gauteng, there is a higher level of existing immunity because we had a very intense third wave. That, coupled with immunity from vaccination, could account for some of that positive picture.”

But Somaroo stressed that “we can’t be complacent” despite reports from hospital wards indicating that length of stays are shorter, ICU admissions are less common and fewer patients are on supplementary oxygen.

“Those who have had a prior infection or vaccination are not likely to have severe disease,” said Dr Fareed Abdullah, director of Aids and TB research at the South African Medical Research Council.

But for the unvaccinated without prior infection, “the health service needs to prepare for another deluge of sick patients some of whom will be Sars-Cov-2 incidental, some of whom will have moderate disease and some of whom will have severe disease”, he said.

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2021-12-10 15:58:54Z
1191888452

Mexico truck crash: At least 54 people killed as trailer overturns - BBC News

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At least 54 people have been killed and scores more injured after the truck they were being transported in crashed in southern Mexico, authorities say.

More than 150 people, said to be migrants from Central America, were crammed into the truck's trailer when it rolled in the state of Chiapas.

One resident heard a man implore his badly hurt companion: "Remember what you promised your mother! Hold on."

Pictures show victims strewn across the road next to the overturned truck.

Sabina Lopez, who lives nearby and ran to the scene after the crash, told the AFP news agency that she saw dozens of people screaming in pain, some trapped in the wreckage and others unconscious.

"It was horrible to hear the wailing. I just thought about helping," Ms Lopez, 18, told AFP.

She said the impact of the crash had broken the container in half and ripped off its roof.

Isaias Diaz arrived 15 minutes after the crash and helped paramedics with those people showing signs of life.

"I saw five, six children who were clearly injured. People with broken legs, ribs, [injured] heads, cuts on their necks," he told AFP.

"The crying, the pain, the despair. It was a terrible scene," he added.

Residents offered crash survivors water and mobile phones to contact relatives. They also said the driver and a person with him appeared injured, but then fled.

• Mexico country profile

It is one of the worst accidents of its kind in Mexico. Forty-nine people were confirmed dead at the scene and five more died in hospital, Chiapas Governor Rutilio Escandón said.

Some 105 people - 83 men and 22 women - were also injured in the crash, he said.

Emergency officials said the victims included men, women and children. Most of the people on board were from Guatemala, but there were others from Honduras, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

The truck was reportedly speeding when it flipped on a sharp bend and hit a pedestrian bridge on a main road leading to the Chiapas state capital, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, at about 15:30 local time on Thursday.

Chiapas, which neighbours Guatemala, is a major transit point for undocumented migrants.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America try to cross through Mexico each year in a bid to reach the US.

Many of them pay smugglers, who illegally transport them in crowded and dangerous trucks on the long journey.

Human rights groups recently criticised the Biden administration for reinstating a Trump-era border policy requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while claims are processed. The policy has meant that thousands of migrants have been forced to stay in dangerous towns.

The US-Mexico border is the deadliest single crossing in the world according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This year alone, at least 650 people have died trying to cross the border - more than in any other year since IOM's records began.

There are also many deaths on the perilous journey towards the border, however these are harder to accurately document, the IOM said in a statement.

Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador described the crash as "very painful" and wrote on Twitter that he "deeply regrets the tragedy".

In a news conference early on Friday, Mr López Obrador said the incident would be investigated and that it served to raise awareness of the need to address the causes of migration through Mexico.

Last month, a migrant caravan heading through Chiapas found that the local authorities had clamped down so hard on people providing lifts to migrants, they effectively had to undertake the entire journey on foot.

That meant carrying their children in their arms in the blistering heat and torrential downpours of southern Mexico's rural states.

It's a tactic employed by the government to try to break the migrants' will, to see if any will give up and turn back or accept asylum conditions in Mexico.

Throughout it all, trucks have continued to transport thousands of migrants right under the noses - or with the complicity - of the state authorities.

Their trailers filled with scores of families standing in cramped and unsafe conditions for hours, it's a wonder such incidents aren't more frequent.

Often the biggest danger to the migrants is from suffocation as the people-smugglers fail to provide sufficient ventilation or hydration for the trip.

Yet most of those in this horrific crash came from Central America and will have been escaping economic ruin, the effects of severe weather from climate change on their livelihoods or gang violence. Or some combination of all of these factors.

With that in mind, many thousands more will continue to consider the dangers of the road to be a risk worth taking to flee the unbearable conditions at home.

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2021-12-10 15:36:48Z
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