Reading Covid cases higher than they've ever been

More than double the number of cases were detected on December 29 than on the worst day of the second wave.

A total of 545 cases were reported by Public Health England, compared to 244 on January 11 when England was in its third national lockdown.

On December 30, 409 cases were recorded – the latest date for which data is available.

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Around 41 per cent of adults have received a booster jab or third Covid vaccination in Reading, while almost 67 per cent have received at least two doses and 73 per cent have received at least one dose.

The news comes as Boris Johnson has said there is a “good chance” he will not have to impose fresh restrictions to tackle the massive wave of Omicron cases.

At a Downing Street press conference today, the Prime Minister backed sticking with Plan B measures despite warnings the NHS is under significant pressure from coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus

The Prime Minister confirmed he would advocate to his Cabinet the need to stick with work-from-home guidance, mask-wearing and Covid health passes to “ride out” the wave of infections but warned that anyone who believes the battle against the disease is over is “profoundly wrong”.

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With daily lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in England and Scotland exceeding 200,000 for the first time, Mr Johnson acknowledged now is the time for the “utmost caution” but argued the booster rollout has given substantial protection to the nation.

England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty acknowledged that “some hospitals, some areas of the country” will come under “very substantial pressure over the next couple of weeks” with high numbers of staff isolating over infections compounding the typical winter pressures.