New COVID-19 cases in the UK have hit a record high since the new Omicron variant arrived — but the number of deaths has plummeted.
The daily figure of positive tests hit 183,000 on Wednesday, far above anything seen before in Britain and four to five times the daily averages seen in the autumn.
But the average number of deaths within four weeks of a positive test dipped way below 100 per day for the first time since August, down to 88, with the downward trend appearing to steepen.
UK COVID-19 deaths within 28 days of positive test by date of death up to December 29 2021
The latest statistics backed up expert assessments that the new Omicron variant, which the UK Health Security Agency estimates now accounts for 93 per cent of new infections, has far milder symptoms than the Delta variant it has supplanted.
More than half the known cases of the new strain worldwide are in the UK, with over 210,000 confirmed cases as of Tuesday.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has yet to order measures beyond requiring face masks in communal indoor spaces and on public transport, along with requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter venues that hold more than 500 people.
Some media commentators questioned the need for government warnings and a return to lockdown restrictions in light of the figures — with some arguing that the virus has already mutated from a deadly pandemic into a common seasonal malady.
Government scientific advisory committee SAGE confirmed observations from South Africa that Omicron patients spend less time in hospital on average than those with previous variants.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid repeated the Government's mantra, urging those already vaccinated to join the 33 million who have already had a third booster jab — for the sake of the National Health Service.
Over 148,000 people in the UK have died after contracting COVID-19 since the virus reached its shores in January 2020, out of 12.5 million people known to have been infected.