Jenny Harries, head of the UK Health Security Agency, said the impact on society of Omicron will be crucial despite mounting evidence that it is generally milder than the Delta strain.
Jeremy Farrar, a former SAGE member, pointed out that while another booster is already being mooted in the UK, many around the globe have yet to receive a first jab.
Cases of COVID are spiking ahead of the Christmas holiday even in the nation s sunniest states. Hawaii saw a 805 per cent uptick in new cases and Florida reported a 711% increase.
Scientists at Imperial College London found the chance of having to stay in hospital overnight was even lower, with a reduced risk of between 40 and 45 per cent.