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Boris Johnson has announced he is rapidly speeding up the UK's coronavirus booster jab rollout as he warned the country: 'There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming.'

The Prime Minister delivered an address to the nation this evening as he said he is bringing forward his end of January target for every adult to be offered a jab by one month. 

It means that everyone eligible aged 18 and over will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year, with Mr Johnson urging people to 'get boosted now'. 

Mr Johnson said the UK is 'now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant' and 'we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe'. 

The PM said the data was now clear that two doses of the 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'. 

Launching what he described as the 'Omicron Emergency Boost', Mr Johnson said that in order to deliver the necessary jabs by the end of the year 'we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day'.

He said this will require 'an extraordinary effort' as he revealed some medical appointments will have to be postponed until 2022 so that clinicians can commit to administering jabs.       

Mr Johnson said 'every adult over 18 who has had a second dose of the vaccine at least three months ago' will be eligible for a jab from tomorrow. 

Approximately 20million people are likely to be eligible for the booster under the criteria which means the rollout will need to administer around one million jabs a day to hit the PM's end of year target. 

The formal NHS Booking System will be open to the younger age groups from Wednesday but Mr Johnson said 'in some places you can walk in from tomorrow'. 

In his address the Prime Minister said: 'Over the past year we have shown that vaccination is the key to beating Covid and that it works

'The UK was the first country in the world to administer a vaccine, we delivered the fastest rollout in Europe and we begun the fastest booster campaign too with over half-a-million jabs delivered yesterday alone.

'These achievements made possible by the extraordinary efforts of our NHS, including thousands of GPs and volunteer vaccinators have literally saved countless lives and livelihoods in this country.  

'But I need to speak to you this evening because I'm afraid we're now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant Omicron and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe. ' 

Mr Johnson went on to say that that UK's four chief medical officers had now raised the Covid alert level to four  - it's second highest level- because of the evidence that Omicron is doubling in the UK every two to three days.

He continued: 'We know from bitter experience how these exponential curves develop. No one should be in any doubt 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.

'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.  

'I know there will be some people watching who will be asking whether Omicron is less severe than previous variants and whether we really need to go out and get that booster and the answer is yes we do.

'Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can't hurt you, can't make you and your loved ones seriously ill. We've already seen hospitalisations doubling in a week in South Africa and we have patients with Omicron in hospital here in the UK right now.  

'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 that 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.' 

Boris Johnson has announced he is rapidly speeding up the UK's coronavirus booster jab rollout as he warned the country: 'There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming'.

It means that everyone eligible aged 18 and over will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year, with Mr Johnson urging people to 'get boosted now'

The Prime Minister said he was launching the 'Omicron Emergency Boost' and said that in order to deliver the necessary jabs by the end of the year 'we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day'

The UK Covid alert level was raised from level 3 to level 4 after the UK reported another 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant 

 

Mr Johnson also announced that 42 military planning teams are being deployed to every region of the UK to help with the rollout while additional vaccine sites and mobile units will also be stood up and opening hours for clinics will be extended so they run seven days a week.  

The Prime Minister added: 'A fortnight ago I said we would offer every eligible adult a booster by the end of January. Today in light of this Omicron emergency I'm bringing that target forward by a whole month.

'Everyone eligible aged and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year.

'And we've spoken today to devolved administrations to confirm the UK government will provide additional support to accelerate vaccinations in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland.

'To hit the pace we need, we’ll need to match the NHS’s best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day. 

'This will require an extraordinary effort. And as we focus on boosters and make this new target achievable, it will mean some other appointments will need to be postponed until the New Year.

'But if we don’t do this now, the wave of Omicron could be so big that cancellations and disruptions, like the loss of cancer appointments, would be even greater next year. And I know the pressures on everyone in our NHS – from our GPs, doctors and nurses to our porters – all of whom have worked incredibly hard and we thank them for the amazing job they have done.

He added:  'We're a great country. we have the vaccines to protect our people so let's do it. Let's get boosted now. Get boosted now for yourself, for your friends and our family. Get boosted now to protect jobs and livelihoods across this country. Get boosted now to protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life.'  

The address to the nation came after the UK Covid alert level was raised following a rapid increase in the number of Omicron cases being recorded.    

The country's four chief medical officers and NHS England's national medical director recommended to ministers that the UK go up to Level 4 from Level 3 after a further 1,239 confirmed cases of the mutant strain were recorded across the country as of Sunday.

That brings the total number of UK cases of Omicron to 3,137, a 65 per cent increase from Saturday's total of 1,898 cases.

Level 4 is one step below the most severe Level 5. It means coronavirus is 'in general circulation, transmission is high and direct Covid-19 pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising'.  

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi revealed this morning that there are now patients with Omicron being treated in UK hospitals but health bosses said there is yet to be a confirmed Omicron-linked death.   

The booster announcement came as Mr Johnson braces for a Tory rebellion in the House of Commons on Tuesday when MPs are due to vote on his 'Plan B' measures. 

Labour has said it will vote for the new curbs which include rolling out vaccine passports for nightclubs and large indoor events, making face masks compulsory in most indoor public settings and advising people to work from home. 

But the new restrictions have prompted Tory fury with 'at least' 60 Conservative MPs said to be planning to rebel to vote against the package. 

Labour support means 'Plan B' will be agreed by the Commons even if there is a sizeable Tory revolt but should such a rebellion take place it would be the largest of Mr Johnson's premiership to date and would represent a hammer blow to his authority.   

Mr Johnson said in his address that the UK is 'now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant, Omicron, and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe'.

Referring to the decision to raise the Covid alert level, Mr Johnson said: 'No-one should be in any doubt: 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.

'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.

'And I know there will be some people watching who will be asking whether Omicron is less severe than previous variants, and whether we really need to go out and get that booster. And the answer is yes we do.

'Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can't hurt you; can't make you and your loved ones seriously ill. We've already seen hospitalisations doubling in a week in South Africa. And we have patients with Omicron in hospital here in the UK right now.

'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, that 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.'

Mr Johnson said the Government 'must act now' to increase the number of jabs being delivered as he announced the launch of the 'Omicron Emergency Boost' which he described as 'a national mission unlike anything we have done before in the vaccination programme'. 

He said: 'A fortnight ago I said we would offer every eligible adult a booster by the end of January. Today, in light of this Omicron Emergency, I am bringing that target forward by a whole month. 

'Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year and we have spoken today to the Devolved Administrations, to confirm the UK Government will provide additional support to accelerate vaccinations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

'To hit the pace we need, we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day. This will require an extraordinary effort and as we focus on boosters and make this new target achievable, it will mean some other appointments will need to be postponed until the New Year.'

Mr Johnson said that from tomorrow in England the booster programme will be open to all adults who have had a second dose of the vaccine at least three months ago. 

Delivering a plea to the nation, the PM said: 'If you haven't yet had a vaccine at all, then please get yourself at least some protection with a jab as quickly as possible. If you've already had your booster, encourage your friends and family to do the same.

'We are a great country. We have the vaccines to protect our people. So let's do it. Let's Get Boosted Now. Get Boosted Now for yourself, for your friends and your family. Get Boosted Now to protect jobs and livelihoods across this country. Get Boosted Now to protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life. Get Boosted Now.'

The Government announced this afternoon that 1,196 additional cases of the Omicron variant had been identified in England, taking the total to 2,953.

Meanwhile, there were 38 confirmed cases in Scotland, where 159 cases of the Omicron variant have now been confirmed. 

In Wales, 15 confirmed cases have been reported, but there were no additional cases in the past 24 hours, and in Northern Ireland, there were five additional cases, taking the total there to 10. 

The Government said that as of 9am on Sunday there had been a further 48,854 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK overall. It also said a further 52 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. 

The UK's chief medical officers - England's CMO Professor Chris Whitty, Northern Ireland's Sir Michael McBride, Scotland's Professor Gregor Smith, and Wales' Dr Frank Atherton, along with NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis -  said the alert level needed to rise because of the 'rapid increase in Omicron cases'.

They said: 'Transmission of COVID-19 is already high in the community, mainly still driven by Delta, but the emergence of Omicron adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services. 

In his address the Prime Minister said 'we're now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant Omicron and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection'

Kyna Bigornia receives her Pfizer Covid-19 booster injection at a vaccination site in Liberty Shopping Centre, Romford, east London, as the government accelerates the booster programme

People queue outside Northumbria University's Coach Lane Campus NHS vaccination centre tonight for their booster jabs

Models by London School of Tropical Health and Medicine show the projected path of the Omicron Covid wave in the UK with if lockdown measures are reintroduced. This worst case scenario assumed that boosters do not provide high protection against Omicron and there is a large number of vaccine evading infections 

'Early evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced. 

'Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.' 

The health experts said that 'when vaccine protection is reduced in the way that is happening with Omicron it is essential to top up that protection with a booster'. 

'Both booster vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) increase the immune response substantially and show good effectiveness although with some reduction compared to Delta,' they said. 

'The NHS is currently under pressure mainly driven by non-COVID pressures. With a variant spreading with increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness, we are likely to see this pressure rise soon.

'It is extremely important that if you are eligible, you get your COVID vaccination now – whether this be your first, second or booster dose.

'People should continue take sensible precautions including ventilating rooms, using face coverings, testing regularly and isolating when symptomatic.' 

Mr Zahawi painted a grim picture of the spread of the mutant strain as he said it now accounts for one third of all cases in London. 

He described the emergence of Omicron as a 'huge bump in the road' as the nation tries to recover from the pandemic, with cases of the variant doubling every two to three days. 

Mr Zahawi warned that the actual number of cases of Omicron is likely to be 'up to 10 times' higher than the confirmed number. 

The Cabinet minister said 20million booster jabs have already been administered and 'it is now a race to get all adults who are eligible for their booster jabs to be boosted as quickly as possible'.

He added: 'As Patrick Vallance said at the press conference, we are transitioning this virus from pandemic to endemic but there are big bumps in the road and this is a big bump, a huge bump in the road, in the sense that we now have a variant that is so infectious that it will dominate and of course exponentially grow.' 

The pleas to the nation to get booster jabs came as the PM faces a massive Tory rebellion when the House of Commons votes on his 'Plan B' on Tuesday. 

The above map shows the ten areas that have the most confirmed and suspected Omicron cases in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency. West Northamptonshire is the country's hotspot for the mutant strain, although eight in ten areas on the list are in London

Tory MP Steve Baker today accused Mr Johnson of 'creating a miserable dystopia' by re-imposing coronavirus restrictions.  

Mr Baker lashed out at Mr Johnson and claimed 'at least' 60 Tory MPs will vote against the Government when they are asked to rubber-stamp the PM's latest Covid curbs.   

However, the PM's crackdown will almost certainly be agreed by the House of Commons after Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the Labour Party will vote in favour of the new rules. 

Sir Keir said this morning he believes the measures are 'necessary' to counter the 'great threat' posed by the Omicron variant. 

He said Labour will act in the 'public interest' and support 'Plan B' as he insisted he will resist calls to take 'political advantage' of the situation.  

Mr Johnson triggered his 'Plan B' last week in a bid to buy the UK time in the fight against Omicron.

Many Tory backbenchers have reacted with fury to the measures, with some having already pledged to vote against the moves. 

The decision to make vaccine passports compulsory for large venues has gone down particularly badly with backbenchers.  

The passes will need to be shown to gain access to indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people from Wednesday.

The 'Plan B' measures also include compulsory mask-wearing in most public indoor settings, as well as guidance for employees to work from home where they can. 

Scotland's Deputy First Minster John Swinney today confirmed the country is already considering bringing in new restrictions in the nation next week.

It comes after Professor Eleanor Riley, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, said the variant is spreading so quickly in Britain everyone will come into contact with it 'unless you're a hermit'. 

Professor Riley warned 'a lot of people' could still end up in hospital even if the strain proves to cause milder symptoms than Delta. 

Hospitals have already had to start shutting wards after detecting cases, with Raigmore Hospital in Inverness forced to close one of its units after a spike in infections.

Meanwhile, new rules on care homes have 'almost' returned residents to the same conditions they were in a year ago, according to care leaders. Mr Gove yesterday announced care home resident will be banned from seeing more than three named visitors this winter in order to protect them from the vaccine-evading variant. 

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 symptoms of the virus without it. 

Officials stress two doses should still offer high protection against severe illness but even a small drop in that could trigger a surge in hopsitalisations. 

Of the nearly 1,900 Omicron cases in the UK, 1,757 have been found in England, 121 were detected in Scotland, 15 were in Wales and five in Northern Ireland.

The variant already makes up 30 per cent of new Covid cases in London, according to confidential data given to ministers.  

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

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

While No10 said there were no imminent plans for more restrictions when Plan B was announced this week, Mr Gove warned on Friday that the government had been shown 'very challenging information' about the speed of Omicron's spread at a Cobra meeting.  

He hinted the Government was considering Plan C, saying: 'We need to keep everything under review.' 

And the LSHTM modelling suggests that even under the most optimistic scenario — low immune escape of Omicron from vaccines and high effectiveness of booster jabs — a wave of infection is projected which could lead to a peak of more than 2,000 daily hospital admissions, with 175,000 hospital admissions and 24,700 deaths between December 1 this year and April 30, 2022.

This is if no additional control measures are implemented over and above the current Plan B introduced by the Government in England.

The team said mask-wearing, working from home and booster jabs may not be enough, and predict a peak of daily hospital admissions of 2,400 in January.

In this scenario, bringing in control measures early in 2022 — such as restrictions on indoor hospitality, the closure of some entertainment venues and restrictions on how many people can gather in one place — would be sufficient to substantially control the wave, reducing hospital admissions by 53,000 and deaths by 7,600. 

Dr Rosanna Barnard, from LSHTM's Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, who co-led the research, said: 'More data over the next few weeks will strengthen our knowledge on Omicron and the consequences of this on transmission in England.

'However, these early projections help guide our understanding about potential futures in a rapidly-evolving situation.

'In our most optimistic scenario, the impact of Omicron in the early part of 2022 would be reduced with mild control measures such as working from home. 

'However, our most pessimistic scenario suggests that we may have to endure more stringent restrictions to ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed. Mask-wearing, social distancing and booster jabs are vital, but may not be enough.

'Nobody wants to endure another lockdown but last-resort measures may be required to protect health services if Omicron has a significant level of immune escape or otherwise increased transmissibility compared to Delta.

'It is crucial for decision-makers to consider the wider societal impact of these measures, not just the epidemiology.'

'We are facing an emergency. Get boosted now': Boris Johnson's address to the nation in full 

By Bhvishya Patel for MailOnline

Boris Johnson warned that the UK is 'facing an emergency' in the battle against the Omicron variant as he urged the country to 'reinforce the wall of protection' and 'get boosted now'.

In his address to the nation tonight, the PM said the data was clear that two doses of the vaccine were 'simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need' but scientists were confident a booster could bring levels of protection 'back up'.   

Launching what he described as the 'Omicron Emergency Boost', Mr Johnson said everyone over the age of 18 would now be offered their booster before the New Year in an effort to halt the spread of the highly-transmissible strain.

The PM's address comes after the UK's Covid alert level was raised from Level 3 to Level 4 after the UK reported another 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant - an increase of 65 per cent over the past 24 hours. 

Today's case numbers - which take the total number of Omicron cases in the UK to 3,137 - are the highest daily rise and more than double the previous record, which was set on Saturday when 633 new cases of the variant were reported.  

In his speech the PM said: 'Over the past year we have shown that vaccination is the key to beating Covid and that it works.

Boris Johnson warned that the UK is 'facing an emergency'  as he urged the country to 'reinforce the wall of protection' with a booster dose

 'The UK was the first country in the world to administer a vaccine, we delivered the fastest rollout in Europe and we begun the fastest booster campaign too with over half a million jabs delivered yesterday alone.

'These achievements made possible by the extraordinary efforts of our NHS, including thousands of GPs and volunteer vaccinators have literally saved countless lives and livelihoods in this country.

'But I need to speak to you this evening because I'm afraid we're now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant Omicron and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe.

'Earlier today the UK's four chief medical officers raised the Covid alert level to four  - it's second highest level- because of the evidence that Omicron is doubling here in the UK every two to three days.

'We know from bitter experience how these exponential curves develop. No one should be in any doubt 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.

'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.

'I know there will be some people watching who will be asking whether Omicron is less severe than previous variants and whether we really need to go out and get that booster and the answer is yes we do.

'Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can't hurt you, can't make you and your loved ones seriously ill. We've already seen hospitalisations doubling in a week in South Africa and we have patients with Omicron in hospital here in the UK right now.

'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 that 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. So we must act now.'

Launching what he described as the 'Omicron Emergency Boost', Mr Johnson said that in order to deliver the necessary jabs by the end of the year 'we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day'.   

He continued: 'Today we're launching the Omicron emergency booster national mission unlike anything we've done before in the vaccination programme to get boosted now.

'A fortnight ago I said we would offer every eligible adult a booster by the end of January. Today in light of this Omicron emergency I'm bringing that target forward by a whole month.

'Everyone eligible aged and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year.

'And we've spoken today to devolved administrations to confirm the UK government will provide additional support to accelerate vaccinations in Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland.

'To hit the pace we need, we'll need to match the NHS's best vaccination day yet – and then beat it day after day. 

'This will require an extraordinary effort.And as we focus on boosters and make this new target achievable, it will mean some other appointments will need to be postponed until the New Year.

'But if we don't do this now, the wave of Omicron could be so big that cancellations and disruptions, like the loss of cancer appointments, would be even greater next year. And I know the pressures on everyone in our NHS – from our GPs, doctors and nurses to our porters – all of whom have worked incredibly hard and we thank them for the amazing job they have done.

'But I say directly to those of you on the front line, I must ask you to make another extraordinary effort now, so we can protect you and your colleagues – and above all your patients - from even greater pressures next year.

'So from tomorrow in England, we are opening up the booster to every adult over 18 who has had a second dose of the vaccine at least three months ago.

'The NHS Booking System will be open for these younger age groups from Wednesday, and that's the best way to guarantee your slot, but in some places you can walk in from tomorrow.'

Mr Johnson said everyone over the age of 18 would now be offered their booster before the New Year

In order to assist with the emergency operation the PM said military planning teams would be deployed across the region, and thousands more volunteer vaccinators would be trained.

He added: 'We will also assist this emergency operation by deploying 42 military planning teams across every region, standing up additional vaccine sites and mobile units, extending opening hours so clinics are open 7 days a week, with more appointments early in the morning, in the evening, and at weekends, and training thousands more volunteer vaccinators.

'And we'll set out further steps in the days ahead. It's because of the threat from Omicron that I announced on Wednesday we will move to plan B in England.

'You must wear a face covering in indoor public spaces. From tomorrow, work from home if you can.

'And from Wednesday, subject to a vote in parliament, you'll need to show a negative lateral flow test to get into nightclubs and some large events if you're not double vaccinated.

'These measures will help slow the spread of Omicron. But we must go further and get boosted now.

'If you haven't yet had a vaccine at all, then please get yourself at least some protection with a jab as quickly as possible.

'If you've already had your booster, encourage your friends and family to do the same.      

'We're a great country. we have the vaccines to protect our people so let's do it. Let's get boosted now. Get boosted now for yourself, for your friends and our family. Get boosted now to protect jobs and livelihoods across this country. Get boosted now to protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life.'        

Covid chaos in South Africa as country finds 19,000 unrecorded cases making a record 37,000 new infections added today and leaving public clueless as to whether Omicron wave has peaked or not – and even the PRESIDENT has tested positive

By David Averre for MailOnline

South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) today announced more than 19,000 positive Covid tests had previously gone unreported due to 'IT challenges'.

South Africa confirmed 18,035 new cases of Covid in the past 24 hours, but the total was bumped up to more than 37,000 to account for the positive tests not previously reported.

'Today we report 37,875 new cases, which includes 19,840 retrospective cases & 18,035 new cases,' the NICD said in a statement today, before calling out public laboratories it said were to blame for the unreported tests. 

'For the NICD to report quality and comprehensive data, the institute relies on test reports from both private and public laboratories to generate daily COVID-19 statistics.

'The NICD was informed in the previous week that information technology (IT) challenges had been experienced by public sector laboratories, which have resulted in reporting delays.'

A member of the Western Cape Metro Emergency Medical Services vaccinates a woman, who cannot walk, in a car at a COVID 19 vaccination event in Manenberg on December 08, 2021 in Cape Town

It comes as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for the virus today despite being fully vaccinated. 

Ramaphosa, 69, started feeling unwell and a test confirmed COVID-19, a statement from the presidency announced earlier today.

He is self-isolating in Cape Town and is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service, having delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week.

The statement didn't say whether he had been infected with the omicron coronavirus variant, but confirmed he was experiencing 'mild' symptoms and is being treated. 

Ramaphosa said his own infection serves as a caution to all people in South Africa to be vaccinated and remain vigilant against exposure, a governmental statement said. 

The NICD also said there may be further revelations of unreported Covid cases in South Africa in the coming days due to data taking 'longer to reflect'.  

'Some COVID-19 surveillance data may take longer to reflect on the national line list,' the institute said.

'We are committed to transparent reporting and will continue to update COVID-19 surveillance databases retrospectively as the impacted public laboratories remedy the existing IT difficulties.'

The news comes as a devastating blow to South African health authorities who said yesterday the spread of Covid and the new variant Omicron had slowed, while experts were positive about the relatively low rate of hospitalisations. 

Shabir Madhi, a professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said that the infection rate had been much faster than any of the country's previous three waves, but hospitalisations were remaining low relative to the number of cases.

'Three weeks into resurgence, many adults and children testing SARS-CoV-2 [positive] in hospital, but COVID hospitalisation remains low relative to community case rate,' he wrote on Friday. 

He also said the death rate was low compared to when similar number of cases were being seen in previous waves. 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid today despite being fully vaccinated (pictured August 27, 2021)

Using South Africa's Gauteng province - its Omicron ground-zero - as an example, he said the likely explanation of the low death rate was that 73 percent the region's population was either vaccinated or previously infected, giving T-cell immunity. The majority of those hospitalised with severe Covid, he said, are vaccinated. 

'Government response correctly remains measured by not increasing restrictions and not panicking with increase in cases, but seem to rather focusing on COVID (excluding coincidental Ix) hospitalisation and health facility capacity,' he said.

After a period of low transmission of about 200 new cases per day in early November, South Africa COVID-19 cases began rising dramatically.

Omicron appears to be highly transmissible and has quickly become dominant in the country, but the majority of cases appear to be relatively mild and the percentage of severe cases needing oxygen have been low, say doctors. 

Meanwhile, researches in Israel announced today that a third booster jab of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine provides significant protection against the new Omicron variant.   

The study, carried out by Sheba Medical Centre and the Health Ministry's Central Virology Laboratory, compared the blood of 20 people who had received two vaccine doses 5-6 months earlier to the same number of individuals who had received a booster a month before.

Gili Regev-Yochay, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sheba, said: 'People who received the second dose 5 or 6 months ago do not have any neutralisation ability against the Omicron. While they do have some against the Delta strain.

'The good news is that with the booster dose it increases about a hundred fold. There is a significant protection of the booster dose.'

But Regev-Yochay also admitted that the booster is still less effective in protecting against Omicron versus the Delta variant.

'It is lower than the neutralisation ability against the Delta, about four times lower,' she said.

 

 

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