Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said he expects Omicron cases to "rise over the coming days", as experts warned the new Covid variant could reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.
The UK now has 11 confirmed cases of the variant, with six cases discovered in Scotland and five in England so far.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), preliminary evidence suggests Omicron carries a higher risk of reinfection.
Read more: Greater Manchester's latest covid infection rates
Mr Javid, speaking in the Commons, said: “We expect cases to rise over the coming days.
“The new variant has also been spreading across the world. Confirmed cases have been reported in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany,
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