Seven more Omicron cases have been discovered in England taking the total up to 29.
Another three were discovered in Scotland, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday.
It emerged as European Union’s public health agency said on Thursday that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months.
Mathematical modelling could lend weight to preliminary information about the very high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, above that of the Delta variant, which before Omicron was considered the most contagious of the main coronavirus strains.
It came as annual jabs are likely to be needed for years to come in order to maintain “a very high level of protection”, the boss of Pfizer has said.
Dr Albert Bourla told the BBC that, without vaccines, the “fundamental structure of our society would be threatened”.
