At least one person has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain.
Since the first Omicron cases were detected on November 27 in Britain, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions and on Sunday cautioned that the variant could overcome the immune defences of those inoculated with two shots of vaccines.
Deaths from Omicron may have occurred in other countries but none has been publicly confirmed yet outside Britain. "So I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus - I think that's something we need to set one side - and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population."
Before the death was announced, Britain said 10 people had been hospitalised with Omicron in various parts of England. Their ages ranged from 18 to 85 years and most had received two vaccination doses.
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