More than 93,000 people in Britain have tested positive for the coronavirus in a 24-hour period, health officials announced on Friday, as the fast-spreading Omicron variant puts pressure on a government that has resisted imposing tough restrictions before Christmas. The government said that 93,045 cases were recorded in the previous day, the third consecutive day that Britain’s case count set a record. Omicron has eclipsed Delta as the dominant variant in Scotland, officials said, and was surging in many other areas of Britain, with infections in some places doubling every two to three days. While the effect on the country’s health system is still unknown, officials warned that the sheer number of cases could still be overwhelming. But Britain’s relatively high vaccination levels appeared to be limiting cases of severe illness and death.

Source: New York Times December 18, 2021 04:20 UTC