Hundreds of new coronavirus cases have been identified in Bristol as concerns rise nationally about the Omicron variant.
None of the five cases of the new variant found in England so far have been in the South West, but the health secretary said today (Monday, November 29) that numbers are expected to increase nationally in the coming days.
The Government's daily breakdown of coronavirus case numbers have recorded another 254 in Bristol city itself, bringing the total to 76,457 since the pandemic began.
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There were another 365 cases in the wider Bristol region.
Of the four local authorities in the West of England area, the death toll remained unchanged except in South Gloucestershire, where one more person died within 28 days of a positive test.
The total number of cases confirmed in each region around Bristol, with the daily rise in brackets:
Bristol - 76,457 (+254)
Bath and North East Somerset: 28,024 (+81)
North Somerset: 28,726 (+96)
South Gloucestershire: 43,228 (+188)
Nationally another 42,583 covid cases were reported today, bringing the overall total since the pandemic began to 10,189,059.
Another 35 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, meaning the death toll is now at 144,810, excluding those who did not have an official positive test result.
The rise comes as the new Omicron variant arrives in the UK, which experts fear could be easily spreadable and less susceptible to vaccines.
Mandatory face mask rules have been announced in shops and on public transport in hope of reducing the risk of transmission.
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