Though it has been confirmed that the Omicron Covid variant has spread as far north as Liverpool and been found in parts of Scotland, the strain is yet to make it to the North East.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the variant continues to crop up in greater numbers around the UK.
As of Thursday afternoon 42 cases of Omicron have been recorded in the UK - 29 in England, - but the North East is one of the few regions to remain untouched where none of our local authorities have reported a case.
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In a statement the UKHSA said those to have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating and work was underway to identify travel links to Southern Africa. The agency is also carrying out targeted testing at "locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious".
Dr Jenny Harries, the chief exec of the UKHSA, said: "We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy.
"Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant – please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay."
She also asked that the public take the new advice about booster doses and get the third jab as soon as they were able - which is three months after their second jab.
"Please take up this offer as soon as you are eligible to protect yourself, your families and your communities," she said.
"Please make sure to wear a mask in line with government guidance, including on public transport and in shops, to help break the chains of transmission and slow the spread of this new variant."
Dr Harries also said it was "very likely" that more cases would be discovered in the coming days adding: "That’s why it’s critical that anyone with Covid-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately."
Today the UK has recorded 53,945 new cases of coronavirus - the highest daily figure since mid Julky following the European football championships.
