Covid-19: Two Staffordshire cases 'likely' Omicron

Two more Covid-19 cases in Staffordshire are "highly likely" to be the new Omicron variant.

One case has been confirmed so far in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The county's director of public health, Dr Richard Harling, said all three cases had been linked to overseas travel.

Further cases of the variant were inevitable in Staffordshire in the future, he added.

The confirmed Omicron case has been self-isolating since late November and "robust" contact tracing has taken place to try to limit further spread, the county council says.

People in Staffordshire have been urged to get both vaccine doses and their booster jab. Dr Harling said uptake in the county had been good.

"We have got first and second doses into more than 80 to 90% of adults and we are now with boosters up to about 60 to 70% of adults," he said.

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Uncertainty over the Omicron Covid variant has led to concerns over Christmas celebrations this year.

Microbiologist Dr Arthur Hosie, from Staffordshire University, said if people took precautions "it might actually enable us to do some things".

However he urged people to be cautious and "not go overboard in our Christmas celebrations".

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