‘Lockdown by stealth’ as cases leap

FEARS grew yesterday of a ‘lockdown by stealth’ if millions more test positive between now and Christmas Day.

Official scientific modelling suggests that as many as 4million people could be infected with the Omicron strain before December 25 – forcing them into ten days of self-isolation over the festive period.

Yesterday, some 78, 10 new cases were reported – a new daily record and up almost 20,000 on the previous day’s figure.

All those who test positive have to self isolate by law. But many people are now also said to be choosing to isolate in a bid to avoid catching the virus and have it ruin their Christmas plans.

It means growing numbers not in workplaces, shops or town centres in what would normally be one of the busiest periods of the year – and before any new curbs have been introduced.

Despite the surge in cases, separate figures from the UK Health Security Agency yesterday showed there are still only 11 confirmed cases of Omicron patients in English hospitals. Two days earlier the figure stood at ten. There has still only been one death recorded of a person with the Omicron variant.

Yesterday’s report of 78, 10 new cases is much higher than the previous record of 8,053 cases on January 8.

There were 1 5 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The sharp increase in cases is down to the fact that Omicron is far more transmissible than other variants. However, there are further signs from South Africa that it may cause a milder form of the disease.

The fatality rate of Covid there has dropped dramatically since the new variant emerged, data reveals.

On November 18, the case fatality rate – the ratio between confirmed deaths and confirmed cases – in South Africa stood at

5.5 per cent. However, the most recent data, from Monday, reveals the rate is down to 0.35 per cent – the lowest it has been in at least 15 months. In the UK, it has also come down since the variant was first detected here. On November 2 the rate stood at 0.32 per cent.

Now, just over two weeks later,

it is 0.2 per cent. Dr Chao Wang, senior lecturer in health and social care statistics at Kingston University in London, said the evidence was ‘indeed promising’.