Boris Johnson COVID-19 press conference about Omicron

The UK's COVID strategy has been effective, with rapid vaccine and booster rollouts. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant, identified by South African scientists, poses new challenges. Omicron spreads quickly and may partially evade vaccine protection. The UK is taking precautionary measures to slow its spread and increase vaccinations while scientists study the variant.

What has been the UK's approach to COVID-19 vaccination?

What is the significance of the Omicron variant as mentioned in the text?

What role do scientists play in understanding the new variant?

How does the Omicron variant differ from previous configurations of the virus?

What measures are suggested to deal with the new variant?