Health chiefs are watching London closely to see if soaring Omicron cases are followed by a corresponding spike in hospital admissions ANNA WATSON/ALAMYThe World Health Organisation classified the B.1.1.529 Covid strain, Omicron, as a “variant of concern” on November 26. London has been an Omicron city since Sunday. For evidence of its daunting growth, look no further than daily case numbers. Since “freedom day” in July, we have become used to tens of thousands of infections — but last week 59,610 daily cases became 78,610, then 88,376, then 93,045. For months cases were bumpy; now we are in exponential

Source: The Times December 19, 2021 05:24 UTC