The UK has reported a record breaking 93,045 Covid cases in a single day, a 60% increase on last week.
Department of Health figures show another 111 people have lost their lives to the virus as the nation faces skyrocketing cases which are causing Christmas misery.
This week has seen a sharp uptick in cases, with today being the third in a row the grim figure has been beaten - with 88,376 cases being confirmed yesterday and an additional 78,610 on Wednesday.
The UK has recorded 3,201 new cases of the Omicron variant, up from yesterday's figure of 1,691.
It takes the total number of confirmed Omicron cases in the UK to 14,909 - although the true figure is believed to be much higher because not all labs can detect the variant and not everyone will come forward for testing.
Hospital admissions with Covid-19 are also on the rise - with another 900 people being admitted, figures show.
England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned yesterday the UK faces another 18 months of Covid misery.
He suggested the number of people in hospital could be “very high indeed” over a short period of time.
And he warned it is “entirely possible” that daily admissions to UK hospitals could top the previous peak of 4,583 - set in the second wave in January.
Boris Johnson today warned a “big wave” of Omicron is now “coming through”, saying the Covid variant is a “very serious threat to us now".
He added: “We are seeing a considerable wave coming through, and people have got to be prepared and they’ve got to understand what it takes.”
Yet he did not announce any new restrictions, with speculation that he could bring in extra Covid rules only after Christmas.
Parts of the UK have started tightening Covid restrictions, with Wales announcing yesterday that from December 27, nightclubs will be closed and social distancing rules will come back into force.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - who has asked Scots to socialise only with two other households at a time - today said the R number of Omicron is “possibly above four”. She added: "The tsunami I warned about a week ago is now starting to hit us".
Officially the R rate for Covid in England, updated today, is 1.0 to 1.2. But this figure has a lag time of two to three weeks and applies to all variants.
Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser for the UK Health Security Agency, said the R number for Omicron had “broad brush estimates of between 3 and 5 at the moment." This means every person infected passes the virus to between 3 and 5 others.
England has brought back the least stringent restrictions out of the three mainland British nations.
Yesterday England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, warned further Covid restrictions may be needed if vaccines are less effective than expected against Omicron.
Mr Johnson today said Christmas parties could still go ahead, despite Prof Whitty warning the new wave could break the UK's record of daily hospital admissions.
