The Omicron variant has been designated as “variant of concern” but it was important not to panic, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization has said.

The aim is to get the world alert, step up surveillance and public health measures, but not overreact, Dr Margaret Harris told BBC World News’s Yalda Hakim.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The newly discovered Omicron variant poses one of the greatest risks to the world's economic recovery, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned.

The Paris-based group said the new Covid strain threatened to intensify global supply chain shortages and inflation, and that speeding up the global distribution of vaccines was a top policy priority.

The OECD's chief economist, Laurence Boone, said the world's wealthiest nations had already spent $10 trillion supporting their economies through the pandemic.

She said just a fraction of that - about $50 billion - was needed to vaccinate the world.

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The UK is ramping up its Covid vaccination drive to offer boosters to all adults by the end of January.

But 68-year-old Erik from Wigan, whose age places him in a priority group and has also recently undergone a quadruple heart bypass operation, says he has had difficulty booking his third jab.

He received his invitation while he was in hospital with a stomach bleed and when he was well enough to book the link had expired, he says.

When Erik tried to book online he found himself in a queue with 1,100 people in front of him.

"I was able to book one in the end but the nearest centre I could get was eight miles away for 17 December which seemed a long time away really," he says.

"I live in Wigan but I'm going to have to go to Bolton to get my vaccine. My wife had no problems, she went to the local pharmacy and had it done and she's only a year younger than me but I didn't get my invite until a week after she did.

"I just think it makes a mockery of the drive to get the boosters quickly."

Earlier, health secretary Sajid Javid told BBC Breakfast if anyone was struggling to get their booster jab they should contact their local MP.

Image source, Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it expects to have more information on how easily Omicron spreads within days.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove says one scenario is that it could become more transmissible than Delta but says we caution best case/worst case scenarios.

She adds there is some indication that some of the patients are presenting with mild symptoms but says it is still early days.

There have also been increased hospitalisations across South Africa but Dr Van Kerkhove says "that could be down to the fact that we have more cases".

She reiterates the director general's calls for countries to tackle the Delta variant – by far the most dominant variant around the world.

“Everything we do for Delta – which is dominant worldwide - needs to be applied and strengthened for omicron.”

Image source, Reuters

The Director-General of the World Health Organization says if countries don’t stop the transmission of the Delta variant then they won’t stop Omicron either.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is leading a WHO briefing currently where he said: “We need to use the tools we already have to save lives. If we do that, we’ll also save lives from omicron.”

He adds: "Ending the pandemic is not a matter of chance, it’s a matter of choice."

The WHO says travel bans will also not stop the new variant, saying they "damage lives and livelihoods".

Instead, countries all over the world should have more comprehensive checks on passengers: testing before departure, on arrival and symptom checks.

The chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency says "it is very likely" more Omicron cases will be confirmed over the coming days.

Dr Jenny Harries says a rise in the new variant is something we "are seeing in other countries globally and as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing".

"That’s why it’s critical that anyone with Covid-19 symptoms isolates and gets a PCR test immediately," she says.

“We are continuing our efforts to understand the effect of this variant on transmissibility, severe disease, mortality, antibody response and vaccine efficacy.

“Vaccination is critical to help us bolster our defences against this new variant – please get your first, second, third or booster jab without delay."

• How worrying is the Omicron variant?

As we've just heard the number of confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in England has risen to 22. Here's which local authority areas they've been found in:

One case

Bexley, Brentwood, Buckinghamshire, Haringey, Lancaster, Liverpool, Newham, North Norfolk, Nottingham, South Cambridgeshire, Sutton, Three Rivers, Wandsworth

Two cases

Barnet, Camden, Lewisham

Three cases

Westminster

• How can I tell if I have Omicron?

A further nine cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been identified in England, in addition to the previous 13 confirmed cases, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The total number of confirmed cases in England is now 22, it says.

Those who have tested positive and their contacts are all isolating and work is under way to identify any links to travel to southern Africa, a statement says.

The UKHSA has now identified cases in the East Midlands, East of England, London, South East and North West. Targeted testing is being carried out at locations where the positive cases were likely to be infectious, it says.

A further case has also been identified in Scotland, bringing the total to 10, says the UKHSA.

Chris Ewokor
BBC News, Abuja

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Nigeria has started enforcing mandatory Covid vaccinations for all civil servants.

The move comes amid fears of the new Omicron variant.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says three cases of the variant have been confirmed in the country.

Crowds of people were locked out of their offices at the gate of the Federal secretariat in the capital Abuja as they were asked to present proof of their vaccinations or PCR test results.

Meanwhile a vaccination stand has been set up close to the secretariat main gate for those who are willing to get vaccinated.

Laura Foster
BBC Health correspondent

Northern Ireland has confirmed it will follow the same self-isolation rules as the other nations when it comes to the omicron variant.

Anyone who is identified as having a suspected case of omicron must isolate for 10 days.

All close contacts of this person must also isolate for the same time period regardless of their vaccination status or age.

You can read more here on the rules in Northern Ireland.

Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva

Switzerland has confirmed a case of the Omicron variant in a 19-year-old who is fully vaccinated and has no recent history of travel.

The third case of the new variant was discovered during routine testing at his high school, he is reported to have very mild symptoms.

A total of 100 contacts are quarantining – classmates, and members of a school choir of which he is a member.

Swiss authorities say they are so far unable to establish where he may have been infected.

Meanwhile new infections soared to 10,466 in the past 24 hours, reaching the peak of Switzerland’s deadly second wave this time last year.

Zurich’s hospitals now report every bed is taken. Switzerland’s other cities are under similar pressure, with most ICU departments more than 80% occupied.

Image source, PA Media

There is "nothing to suggest" children are worse affected by the Omicron variant, Downing Street says.

It follows reports from Tshwane in South Africa that children under two accounted for about 10% of hospital admissions with Omicron.

In response, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "We have seen those reports, but we have seen nothing to suggest... there's no hard evidence to suggest it disproportionately affects children in the way you suggest.

"Clearly, we will [be] monitoring all evidence very carefully.

"It's important to stress that there is nothing to suggest it's impacting on different age groups in a different way to [what] we see with other variants, and it's also worth noting the different age profile characteristics of South Africa as well."

Read more: How do you detect Omicron?

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The number of estimated homeless deaths registered in England and Wales fell by 11.6% in 2020 on a year earlier, the first decline since 2014.

The figures were affected by the Everyone In scheme, which provided homeless people with emergency accommodation when the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020.

As of January 2021, 37,000 rough sleepers had been given emergency accommodation as part of the initiative.

There were 688 homeless deaths registered in 2020, compared to 778 in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

But the true number of deaths may have been understated, the ONS said, as Everyone In made it difficult to identify homeless people in their mortality records.

It's estimated that 13, or 1.9% of those deaths involved coronavirus.

There were an estimated 256 homeless deaths in Scotland in 2020, according to the National Records of Scotland, none of which were officially attributed to coronavirus.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she thinks it's time for EU member states to consider mandatory vaccinations.

She said such measures were required due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

"On the one hand we have the virus and the variants, on the other hand we have vaccination and boosters and I want the second part to win," she told reporters in Brussels.

"Not each and everyone can be vaccinated," she acknowledged, but said "the vast majority could".

"Therefore, I think, it is understandable and appropriate to lead this discussion now [on] how we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union," she added.

"This needs discussion. This needs a common approach, but it is a discussion that I think has to be led."

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Denmark has reported a record number of new daily Covid infections.

Data from the country's Serum Institute shows 5,120 new cases - 2.6% of the number of people tested over 24 hours.

There are already five confirmed cases of the new Omicron variant.

However, hospitalisations and deaths remain well below a peak a year ago, which the health authorities say is down to the effectiveness of vaccines.

Tom Espiner
Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The Co-op has become the latest supermarket chain to say it will not enforce new mask-wearing rules to avoid their staff being abused by customers.

Mask rules were reintroduced in England on Tuesday after concerns about the Omicron coronavirus variant. It's now mandatory to wear them in shops and public transport, among other places.

Supermarkets are taking a light touch approach with Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland not challenging customers.

Industry body The British Retail Consortium said it is up to police to enforce face mask rules, not retailers.

Read the full story here and the latest mask rules here.

France has announced that everyone arriving from outside the EU will need to present a negative Covid test which is less than 48 hours old, even if they are fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated people arriving from within the EU will need to present a test that is less than 24 hours old. The government is considering extending this to all travellers from within the EU.

It’s also announced that flights from southern Africa can resume from Saturday, under very heavy restrictions – including tests and policed quarantine for all passengers.

Image source, Getty Images

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has lashed out at African countries that have followed western countries in restricting travel to and from southern African states.

He said it was unfortunate, and that he would have preferred if they did not react like their former colonisers over the discovery of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

“I am concerned and of course out of respect to them, I mean they have their reasons," he told journalists ahead of a visit to West Africa.

"But we would like to have a discussion with them in a way where we would prefer that they do not react like our former colonisers, who are very quick to close Africa down."

Rwanda, The Seychelles, Mauritius, Egypt and Angola are some of the African countries that closed their borders soon after the discovery of the new variant.

Image source, Reuters

Pre-departure Covid testing for travellers returning to the UK would be "valuable", the government's Sage advisory committee says.

It also says the government's policy of asking travellers to take a test two days after they arrive would "identify significantly fewer cases" than doing extra tests on days five or eight.

The advice is in the minutes of a meeting held on Monday seen by the BBC.

The latest rules mean every traveller entering the UK must take a PCR test within 48 hours of arrival, and self-isolate while awaiting the result.

• What are the travel rules now?

Labour has called for the reintroduction of pre-departure tests and the Scottish and Welsh governments have argued for tests on day eight.

Read the full story here.

Image source, Getty Images

Children aged nine and above will have to wear face masks in schools in the Republic of Ireland from today.

It comes as the first case of the Omicron variant has been identified in the country, which we reported a little while ago.

Unmasked students and staff will be refused entry, external if a medical certificate is not provided to prove exemption, the country's education department says.

The requirement to wear masks previously applied to children aged 13 and up.

Schools have been told they can be flexible in the first few days.

Read the full story here.