At least one patient has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.
“Sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” Johnson told reporters.
Britain among the countries worst hit by the global health crisis since last year is believed to be the first government to officially announce a death from the virus mutation.
On a visit to a vaccination centre in west London, Johnson said Omicron accounted for about 40 percent of the cases in the British capital, and hospital admissions were rising.
Since the first Omicron cases were detected on Nov. 27 in the United Kingdom, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions, and on Sunday he urged people to get booster shots to prevent the health service from being overwhelmed.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the Omicron coronavirus variant was spreading at a “phenomenal rate” and now accounted for about 40% of infections in London.