Omicron was within the UK days earlier than South Africa warned the world of the brand new Covid variant, it has emerged after nearly all of circumstances in Scotland had been linked to a single ‘occasion’ on November 20.
Nicola Sturgeon revealed that 9 of Scotland’s 10 circumstances had been traced again to a ‘single personal’ occasion 4 days earlier than South African medical doctors raised the alarm concerning the super-mutant pressure.
The primary minister instructed MSPs that each one 9 had been examined on round November 23 and their samples later analysed for the brand new variant. They had been all primarily based within the Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire space and none had any journey hyperlinks.
The shortage of hyperlinks overseas has raised questions are being raised about whether or not the variant might have been imported into the nation on the COP26 local weather summit, which was held in Glasgow within the first fortnight of the month, or on the Scotland v South Africa rugby match at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 13 November.
Ms Sturgeon couldn’t rule the idea out however claimed the timings meant it was ‘unbelievable’.
Which means Omicron was already circulating within the UK earlier than the Authorities launched journey restrictions on a number of African nations in a bid to cut back the unfold.
It comes as a additional 10 circumstances of Omicron had been discovered within the UK right now, bringing the whole variety of identified circumstances in Britain as much as 32 although none have been severe sufficient to require hospitlisation. 9 of the brand new circumstances had been present in England and one in Scotland, in keeping with official knowledge launched right now.
A complete of 32 circumstances of Omicron have now been detected within the UK, 22 in England and 10 in Scotland, whereas the vaccination standing of the contaminated people is unknown none have required hospitalisation
Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has mentioned 9 of the Omicron circumstances within the nation are from a ‘single personal occasion’
9 of Scotland’s Omicron variant circumstances had been linked to a single home ‘occasion’. The shortage of hyperlinks overseas has raised questions are being raised about whether or not the variant might have been imported into the nation on the COP26 local weather summit, which was held in Glasgow within the first fortnight of the month,
One other potential occasion that will have performed a job was the Scotland vs. South Africa rugby recreation on 13 November, although all ticket holders to the sport had been required to have proof of vaccination standing. The sport was promote out, with a packed crowd of Murrayfield Stadium 67,000 in Edinburgh, although it must be famous there have been no circumstances of Omicron detected within the metropolis.
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon instructed MSPs yesterday that extra circumstances had been more likely to emerge from this occasion, although there was no particulars on if that is true for the brand new, and tenth case within the nation.
‘Given the character and scale of the twenty sixth United Nations local weather change convention of the events—COP26—the surveillance work that Public Well being Scotland is doing can also be taking a look at any potential hyperlinks to it,’ she mentioned.
‘At this stage, nonetheless, there isn’t a proof in any respect of any such hyperlink. Though it isn’t unimaginable that one will emerge, the timelines which might be concerned make it unbelievable.’
One other potential occasion that will have performed a job was the Scotland vs. South Africa rugby recreation on 13 November, although all ticket holders to the sport had been required to have proof of vaccination standing.
The sport was promote out, with a packed crowd of Murrayfield Stadium 67,000 in Edinburgh, although it must be famous there have been no circumstances of Omicron detected within the metropolis.
Detailing the ten new circumstances the UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) mentioned all of the detected Omicron constructive people, in addition to their contacts, are actually isolating with hyperlinks to journey to Southern Africa being investigated.
Areas in England the place Omicron has detected for the primary time embody: Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Lancaster, Lewisham, Newham, North Norfolk, South Cambridgeshire, Sutton, and Three Rivers.
Whereas Ms Sturgeon has offered extra element on the timing of Scotland’s Omicron circumstances, no such element has been forthcoming from England.
It’s unknown if any of England’s Omicron predate South Africa’s warning to the worldwide group concerning the rise of the variant, or if they’re all subsequent infections from individuals arriving or returning to the UK.
UKHSA mentioned it’s finishing up focused testing at areas the place it believes circumstances are more likely to be spreading.
The entire variety of confirmed Omicron circumstances in England is now 22 and 10 in Scotland.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief govt of UKHSA, mentioned extra circumstances of Omicron had been more likely to emerge quickly and urged anybody with signs of the virus to get examined.
‘It is rather probably that we’ll discover extra circumstances over the approaching days as we’re seeing in different international locations globally and as we improve case detection by way of centered contact tracing,’ she mentioned.
‘That is why it is vital that anybody with Covid signs isolates and will get a PCR check instantly.’
Dr Harris additionally repeated authorities requires individuals to get their Covid vaccines as quickly as attainable and observe steering on masks carrying in public locations.
‘Please take up this provide as quickly as you’re eligible to guard your self, your households and your communities,’ she mentioned.
‘Please be sure that to put on a masks according to authorities steering, together with on public transport and in retailers, to assist break the chains of transmission and sluggish the unfold of this new variant.’
Dr Harris didn’t repeat her name to ‘restrict festive socialising’ in saying the most recent Omicron circumstances with the feedback sparking outrage from the beleaguered hospitality sector yesterday.
Former minister Steve Baker was a type of that condemned the feedback from Dr Harries: ‘Loneliness shortens lives… and but we discover an official going past Authorities coverage to say that we should always not have pointless socialising.’
One of many large fears relating to Omicron, which is probably the most mutated pressure of Covid recorded, is its potential capacity to ‘dodge’ vaccines as a result of evolutions which make it totally different from earlier variants.
However UKHSA has not detailed the vaccination standing any of the 32 individuals contaminated with Omicron, however none of them have required hospitalisation.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Affiliation and the primary particular person to identify the brand new variant in a affected person, mentioned her sufferers contaminated with Omicron reported totally different and far milder signs, together with tiredness, muscle aches, a sore head and a dry cough. However none reported the tell-tale signs of a lack of odor or style or respiratory difficulties
In whole 18million Britons have had a booster jab to this point and, after yesterday’s steering change, all 53million adults over 18 might be eligible finally. On the present charge of two.4million jabs per week, it will take till March to get everybody boosted
The UK and US are each recording a lot larger ranges of an infection than South Africa – the epicentre of the Omicron outbreak – however circumstances are rising sharply and are up 400 per cent in every week
As of but there have been no reported circumstances of Omicron in Wales or Northern Eire.
The brand new circumstances come after UK Authorities has launched a behemoth Covid booster vaccine drive this week, setting a goal of delivering greater than 50million booster jabs, one for each eligible grownup by the top of January, which is able to contain massively ramping up the present drive which is barely reaching 2.5m per week.
GPs are being incentivised to take a lead within the vaccine programme with medical doctors getting £15 for each jab delivered with a £5 bonus per shot delivered on Sundays and a £30 premium for jabs delivered to weak individuals of their houses.
The Authorities has already drafted 400 military medics and 1,500 pharmacies are in to the booster marketing campaign to turbocharge the tempo of the rollout.
It additionally plans to recruit 10,000 extra paid vaccine volunteers and ‘tens of hundreds’ of unpaid volunteers to assist with the booster drive.
Whereas the Authorities is ramping up its vaccine efforts, the World Well being Group (WHO) poured chilly water on among the Omicron expensive hysteria right now.
A WHO official claimed right now that most Omicron circumstances are ‘delicate’ and there’s no proof the brand new variant has any influence on vaccine effectiveness towards severe sickness.
A spokesperson for the worldwide well being company mentioned early knowledge suggests the mutant pressure is best at infecting individuals than Delta, even among the many absolutely vaccinated.
However there isn’t a signal that present vaccines might be any much less efficient at stopping hospitalisations and deaths, the official, talking anonymously, instructed Reuters.
However Covid hospitalisations are beginning to rise within the South African epicentre of Gauteng province, which is elevating questions on how delicate the variant actually is.
The province recorded 580 hospitalisations this week, in a bounce of 330 per cent from 135 hospital admissions two week in the past, in keeping with official Authorities knowledge.
However only a quarter of South Africans have had two Covid vaccine doses, which makes decoding the info difficult. Within the metropolis of Tshwane in northern Gauteng, 87 per cent of hospital admissions this week had been among the many unvaccinated.
For comparability, 70 per cent of individuals within the UK are double-jabbed and the determine is as excessive as 80 per cent in some European nations.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist on the WHO, later instructed a press convention that ‘surveillance bias’ may very well be underestimating the severity of Omicron, as a result of younger individuals have been the principle spreaders of the pressure.
Final evening, Israeli officers claimed {that a} booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine supplies as much as 90 per cent safety towards extreme sickness from Omicron.
However specialists warn will probably be a minimum of two weeks till they’ve a greater understanding of what influence the variant might have.
And SAGE, No10’s scientific advisors, warned Britain ought to brace for a ‘probably very vital wave with related hospitalisations’ this winter if the worst estimates about Omicron develop into true.
It comes after Botswana’s well being ministry revealed it had detected 19 Omicron circumstances within the nation and 16 among the many group had no signs of the virus.
The Omicron variant has round 50 mutations with greater than 30 of them are on the spike protein. The present crop of vaccines set off the physique to recognise the model of the spike protein from older variations of the virus. However the mutations might make the spike protein look so totally different that the physique’s immune system struggles to recognise it and battle it off. And three of the spike mutations (H665Y, N679K, P681H) assist it enter the physique’s cells extra simply. In the meantime, it’s lacking a membrane protein (NSP6) which was seen in earlier iterations of the virus, which specialists assume might make it extra infectious. And it has two mutations (R203K and G204R) which have been current in all variants of concern to this point and have been linked with infectiousness
Vaccine-makers Moderna and Pfizer are already engaged on Covid vaccines that would sort out the Omicron pressure, if it poses an issue for the present crop of vaccines, however they will not be prepared till mid-2022
Dr Pamela Smith-Lawrence, performing director of Well being within the Ministry of Well being and Wellness, mentioned nearly all of the 19 contaminated individuals have already examined damaging.
And the 2 individuals who reported feeling unwell had ‘very, very delicate’ signs, she mentioned.
It’s ‘unfair’ to deal with Botswana as floor zero of the brand new variant, Dr Smith-Lawrence added.
And medical doctors in South Africa, the place most confirmed circumstances are concentrated, final week reported that Omicron circumstances had been struggling delicate signs.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Affiliation, mentioned her sufferers contaminated with Omicron reported totally different and fewer extreme signs than these contaminated with Delta.
Signs included tiredness, muscle aches, a sore head and a dry cough. However no sufferers reported the tell-tale signs of a lack of odor or style or respiratory difficulties, she mentioned.
However hospitalisations in South Africa have soared 403 per cent in every week, which main virologist Tulio de Oliveira described the surge in infections as ‘scary’.
A complete of 42,664 assessments had been performed in yesterday, with 4,373 new circumstances reported, knowledge from the Nationwide Institute for Communicable Ailments (NICD) in South Africa revealed — equating to a ten per cent positivity charge.
For comparability, the UK day by day Covid circumstances dropped 6.5 per cent in every week, whereas round 4 per cent of these examined had been contaminated with Covid.
Infections in South Africa have elevated 92 per cent in comparison with the two,273 circumstances recorded on Monday and an enormous 403 per cent week-on-week improve, with 868 circumstances recorded final Tuesday.
Scientists within the nation have warned that the overwhelming majority of people that find yourself being hospitalised with the Omicron variant are unvaccinated.
Some 23.8 per cent of South Africa’s total inhabitants is double-jabbed, in comparison with 67.9 per cent of Britons, in keeping with Our World in Knowledge.
In different UK Covid developments, Tory MPs have blasted the Authorities after it emerged new guidelines on self-isolation might be enshrined in regulation till March, sparking fears the curbs might stay in place far past a promised three week assessment.
A brand new restriction got here into drive yesterday which would require individuals who have been involved with a case of the Omicron coronavirus variant to self-isolate for 10 days or threat a positive of as much as £10,000.
Boris Johnson has mentioned that rule, together with necessities to put on face masks in retailers and on public transport and for returning travellers to take a PCR check on or earlier than day two after arrival, might be reviewed earlier than Christmas.
However the rules underpinning the self-isolation rule should not attributable to expire till March 24, prompting a backlash from anti-lockdown Tories.
Conservative MPs have expressed issues that the brand new rule might trigger a contemporary ‘pingdemic’ which might devastate the economic system and training system.
Ministers had been additionally accused of scaring companies into sending employees residence by way of December and cancelling Christmas events due to the Omicron pressure of Covid-19 as SAGE scientists referred to as for all UK arrivals to be pressured to quarantine for 5 days and take a pre-departure PCR check even when they’re absolutely vaccinated.
In guidelines now enshrined in regulation till March, Boris Johnson mentioned face coverings should be worn in retailers and on public transport to ‘purchase us time within the face of this new variant’ whereas he pledged to ‘throw every thing’ on the booster vaccination marketing campaign and provide jabs to 40million over-18s by the top of January to sort out its unfold.
However in the identical Downing Road press convention final evening the Prime Minister insisted one other lockdown is ‘extraordinarily unlikely’, urging individuals to not cancel their plans and to ‘hold dwelling your life’.
Critics say the Authorities’s newest Covid guidelines on masks, blanket quarantine for Omicron contacts and gloomy language about the specter of the brand new variant is definitely encouraging a semi-lockdown by stealth regardless of simply 32 circumstances of the brand new pressure detected to this point.
Deaths, infections and hospitalisations had been all down within the UK yesterday.
Amid accusations of blended messages Sajid Javid additionally inspired hundreds of thousands of individuals to be ‘smart’ and ‘cautious’ about attending Christmas events and to take a lateral move check earlier than going to sluggish the unfold of the Omicron variant.
There are additionally ‘no ensures’ that there will not be a lockdown this Christmas, the Well being Secretary has warned.
And there was extra chaos yesterday after UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) chief Dr Jenny Harries mentioned individuals ought to restrict socialising in December. This sparked suspicion amongst Tory MPs that she was being arrange as the autumn man by ministers who’re too scared to confess additional restrictions are probably.
Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson clashed over new Covid guidelines at PMQs this lunchtime because the PM confronted a revolt from Tory MPs
Christmas events are actually being axed – costing pubs and golf equipment billions of kilos – and if the events are nonetheless going forward attendees are being instructed by their bosses to take a lateral move check on the morning of the occasion and put on masks. Faculties cancelled nativity performs and gala’s whereas councils even axed Santa visits for weak kids.
Right now Brewin Dolphin, one of many largest British wealth administration companies within the UK, instructed employees in London they’ll keep away from the workplace from December 10 till January 7, MailOnline can reveal. Workers shouldn’t really feel uncomfortable declining invitations to occasions earlier than December 25, bosses additionally mentioned.
Google has emailed UK employees urging them to ‘transfer any deliberate in-person social gatherings till 2022’ and limiting them to not more than 15 individuals. Ronan Harris, Vice President and MD for Google UK & Eire, additionally instructed staff that face-to-face enterprise conferences and occasions should be accepted by an organization director.
And regardless of Authorities steering saying in any other case, many UK corporations have scrambled to reinstate workplace restrictions together with masks carrying in communal areas resembling corridors and lifts. Insurance coverage large Aviva is introducing day by day lateral move assessments for workers. EY is one among a variety of large companies asking employees to put on face coverings when not at their desks.
Virgin Media has mentioned it was reviewing its workplace measures whereas Martin Sorrell, chief govt of advert company S4 Capital, mentioned his agency might be exhibiting ‘much more consideration to testing, masks, vaccination, workplace format and dealing from residence’.
Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope has claimed the Prime Minister’s rules are ‘a part of a scaremongering propaganda marketing campaign that’s actually designed to limit or cease interplay between social animals. They’re designed to suppress freedom of the person and suppress social contact, and so they’re doing that by way of unreasonable fear-mongering.’
Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell, mentioned: ‘I’ve acquired a number of emails from journey corporations in my constituency whose potential bookings have dropped off a cliff due to the price of PCR assessments’, including encouragement again in the direction of working from residence might be devastating for companies counting on workplace staff.
Shadow Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned: ‘It might be useful if the Authorities offered some clearer steering. It’s unclear what they need individuals to do’.
Pubs and golf equipment have reported a slew of final minute cancellations since Mr Johnson’s first TV press convention on Saturday as hospitality companies lined as much as warn the Prime Minister that the chilling impact of Covid restrictions will price the economic system ‘billions’ within the run-up to Christmas. Many large companies should not holding large events this yr. These which might be will demand a damaging Covid check consequence for all attendees.
All UK arrivals must be pressured to quarantine for 5 days and take a pre-departure PCR check even when they’re vaccinated, SAGE has suggested.
The skilled panel warned the present journey curbs had been permitting ‘vital’ numbers of contaminated individuals to slide by way of the cracks.
At present, absolutely vaccinated individuals coming into the UK must take a PCR check throughout the first two days of returning to the UK.
There’s nothing stopping them taking this as quickly as they land and getting a consequence on the identical day, releasing them from isolation in hours.
SAGE scientists mentioned this won’t give sufficient time for the virus to incubate. In addition they referred to as for ministers to usher in day 5 and day eight assessments.
Solely unvaccinated individuals coming into the UK should take ‘match to fly’ assessments earlier than getting on a aircraft again to Britain.
SAGE’s new recommendation was leaked from minutes of an emergency assembly concerning the new Omicron variant held on Monday.
Greater than 30 scientists attended the video convention on November 29, led by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical adviser Professor Chris Whitty.
In addition they mentioned Britain ought to brace for a ‘probably very vital wave with related hospitalisations’ this winter if the worst estimates about Omicron develop into true.
Boris Johnson tightened journey guidelines yesterday to require arrivals to self-isolate till they get a damaging PCR check consequence.
However Ms Cooper mentioned it was ‘completely unacceptable’ that ministers had been failing to heed recommendation from their very own scientists to impose extra curbs on the border.
The Authorities rejected requires as much as eight-day self-isolation for vaccinated arrivals this week, arguing it will have a ‘detrimental’ influence on the journey business.
Airline bosses warned that restrictive new testing necessities because the emergence of the most recent pressure was placing put the business’s fragile restoration in danger. Bookings have weakened and fears are rising that carriers might see a wave of cancellations.
Michael Kill, chief govt of the Evening Time Industries Affiliation, mentioned the uncertainty attributable to the blended messages was damaging enterprise.
‘It’s surreal and intensely irritating to see healthcare advisers publicly telling individuals to not socialise, giving pointless uncertainty to our clients and workforce,’ he mentioned.
‘On the very second working prices are at their highest, we are actually confronted with one other poorly conceived communications technique from Authorities which has and can severely influence companies.
‘Christmas bookings and advance ticket gross sales have already been hit following the announcement of the brand new Omicron variant.’
Mr Johnson rejected the recommendation of Dr Harries to restrict festive socialising, declaring it isn’t included in formal steering, as he instructed individuals they don’t must cancel Christmas events or faculty nativity performs.
Mr Javid echoed the PM’s place this morning as he mentioned individuals ‘ought to proceed to behave in the best way that they had been planning to behave over Christmas’ and ‘I do not assume there may be any want to alter these plans’.
Nevertheless, the Well being Secretary risked additional confusion after he mentioned he would take a Covid check earlier than attending a Christmas social gathering.
He mentioned that testing earlier than a celebration is ‘not a proper advice within the steering’ however he would take a check if he was attending such an occasion as a ‘smart precaution’.
It got here as Mr Johnson was grilled by Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs over claims that the Prime Minister and his Downing Road employees broke Covid guidelines by holding two festive gatherings in Quantity 10 in 2020.
The Each day Mirror reported that the PM gave a speech at a packed leaving do for a senior aide final November when the nation was within the midst of the second lockdown. Members of his Quantity 10 group apparently then held their very own festive social gathering days earlier than Christmas, whereas London was topic to Tier 3 Covid restrictions.
Mr Johnson didn’t deny {that a} social gathering had taken place however mentioned ‘all steering was adopted fully’ as Sir Keir accused the PM of ‘taking the British public for fools’.
‘There’s the necessity to self-isolate in the event you come into contact with somebody with Omicron.’
The Well being Secretary was additionally requested if individuals ought to take a coronavirus check earlier than attending a Christmas social gathering.
He replied: ‘I might. I might. It’s not a proper advice within the steering but when I used to be going to a celebration with numerous social gathering and issues I might.
‘However I might have achieved that by the best way even earlier than we knew about this variant.
‘Once more, the explanation I might have achieved that’s as a result of it’s getting chilly, it’s getting darker, we’re spending extra time indoors, in all probability extra individuals indoors than earlier than simply due to the colder, darker days, so a smart precaution that everybody can take.’
Mr Javid instructed BBC Radio 4’s Right now programme that folks must be ‘smart’ of they attend a Christmas social gathering.
He mentioned: ‘In case you are invited to a Christmas social gathering, there’s fairly just a few individuals there, possibly you need to take an LFT (lateral move check) check earlier than you go. Go to the social gathering, however simply be cautious.’
Requested if he would put on a masks if he was at a celebration, Mr Javid mentioned: ‘It relies upon if I’m strolling round or sitting down. It relies upon if I am consuming. Folks simply must decide primarily based on the steering.’
The Cupboard minister defended the Authorities’s choice to make face coverings obligatory on public transport and in retailers in England however not in hospitality settings.
‘The job of presidency is to hearken to skilled recommendation after which make a balanced and proportionate judgment. That is what we have achieved,’ he mentioned.
‘We have acted swiftly. However I feel what we have mentioned on face coverings and the opposite measures that now we have taken is a balanced and proportionate method.’
The Authorities has mentioned the brand new guidelines on self-isolation, face masks and journey testing which got here into impact from 4am yesterday will purchase scientists a while to analyse the Omicron variant and to find out if vaccines are efficient towards it.