UK Covid alert level raised following rapid increase in Omicron cases

The country’s four chief medical officers and NHS England’s national medical director have recommended to ministers that the UK go up to Level 4 from Level 3.

It comes as Boris Johnson prepares to address the nation at 8pm about the booster vaccine programme.

The decision to increase the alert level follows advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) after a further 1,239 confirmed cases of the Omicron mutation were recorded in the UK as of Sunday.

It brings the total number of UK cases of Omicron to 3,137, a 65% increase from Saturday’s total of 1,898 UK cases.

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