Omicron Claims First Recorded Casualty In UK

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that at least one person is now known to have died from the Omicron variant in the UK, according to a Euronews report.

Photo Insert: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a "tidal wave" of Omicron coming.

"Sadly yes Omicron is producing hospitalizations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died from Omicron," he said during a visit to a vaccination clinic in London.

"So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that's something we need to set to one side and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population," he added.

On Sunday, the British leader had warned that the country faced a "tidal wave" of infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.

In a televised statement, Johnson said everyone age 18 and older will be offered a third shot of vaccine by the end of this month in response to the Omicron "emergency." The previous target was the end of January.

He said cases of the highly transmissible variant are doubling every two to three days in Britain, and "there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming."

"And I’m afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need," Johnson said.

"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."

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic