A conference call to share information and assessments on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus was held Thursday night by G7 health ministers.
UK Health Minister Sajid Javid, who chaired the meeting, tweeted, "We agreed that this is the greatest current threat to global public health and we are united in increasing vaccinations, both in our countries and abroad."
The meeting followed a new record number of coronavirus cases in one day in the UK, with 88,376 confirmed cases, an increase of 74% from the previous Thursday.
One in four cases were in London, which is becoming an epicentre of the Omicron spread. In the British capital the new variant is now responsible for 70% of all Covid cases, according to figures from the UK Health Protection Agency. Nationally, Omicron accounts for 40% of coronavirus cases.
The total confirmed cases of the new variant in the UK now stands at 11,708.
Meanwhile, late Thursday night the devolved Welsh government formalised a series of new restrictive measures aimed at curbing the spread of Omicron.
Nightclubs will be closed from December 27, and a two-metre separation requirement between people in shops and offices will be reintroduced.
Source: CNA
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