UK reports more than 100,000 daily confirmed Covid cases for first time
22 December 2021, 16:10 | Updated: 22 December 2021, 17:46
More than 100,000 confirmed Covid cases have been reported in the UK - the highest daily total recorded since the pandemic began.
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A total of 106,122 were recorded on Wednesday - though it is thought past totals of testing were only catching a fraction of the real number of cases.
Countries across the UK have followed different routes to handle the fast spread of Omicron, which is becoming the dominant coronavirus variant.
Boris Johnson confirmed on Tuesday he would not impose new restrictions on England ahead of Christmas.
"We continue to monitor Omicron very closely and if the situation deteriorates we will be ready to take action if needed," he said.
Read more: 'Go ahead with your plans': Boris Johnson confirms no new Covid restrictions for Christmas
Boris Johnson confirms no new measures for Christmas
"What this means is that people can go ahead with their Christmas plans but the situation remains finely balanced and I would urge everyone to exercise caution, to keep protecting yourselves and your loved ones, especially the vulnerable."
This means he will not add to measures which see mandatory face masks in most indoor public spaces and workers told to work from home.
New measures also allow people to take a lateral flow test on day six and seven of what would normally be a 10-day isolation after testing positive for Covid. If both come back negative, that person can end their quarantine.
Read more: Christmas rail crisis as Covid hits staff and firms warn of 'short notice cancellations'
However, Mr Johnson refused to rule out post-Christmas action. Covid self-isolation has already disrupted parts of the economy and led to places like the Natural History Museum having to close, while commuters were warned of train disruption because of staff shortages.
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has slashed the limit on people gathering at events, admitting her decision would effectively make football games spectator-free, and Wales has also imposed limits.
The Government also reported another 140 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid. The Office for National Statistics' figures show 173,000 deaths registered in the UK where the disease was mentioned on the death certificate.
