Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson, has reported that at least one person has died from the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

In light of this, the Minister warned that the rapid spread of the variant has placed the country at a higher risk of increased death and hospitalizations.

Health officials have therefore recommended that the alert level be increased from three to four on a five-point scale. The top-level, five, indicates that authorities think the healthcare system is about to be overwhelmed.

The officials further noted that the Omicron variant is likely to replace the Delta variant as the dominant strain within days, as it is spreading much faster and the vaccines offer less protection against it.

Minister Johnson further declared that the Government will be offering booster shots to everyone 18 years and older by the end of January 2022.

Preliminary data indicates a 70/75% effectiveness of the vaccines against the Omicron variant after a third dose is issued.