The new variant, Omicron, named after the 15thletter of the Greek alphabet has reportedly emerged in the past few days. It originates from South Africa where the first report was recorded, with countries such as Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel all with a positive case for Omicron. As of the 29thNovember 2021, the United Kingdom has identified 11 cases of Omicron, 6 of which in Scotland and 3 in England. This is a worrying time as there will only be an increase of cases before we see a decrease.

 

This has huge impacts on human life, with many past coronavirus rules being put back in place. UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has outlined a new set of rules which are to be followed nationwide as of 4am on Tuesday 30thNovember. Face coverings are now necessary and compulsory in shops and when taking public transport. All International arrivals into the UK must complete a day-2 PCR test and self-isolate until result comes back negative.

 

This will be another difficult time for everyone affected. Families will be separated should this get out of hand. As a nation, we need to ensure that we are doing our very best to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. Furthermore, we need to thank the NHS workers for their continued dedication and work to helping us all.