"According to the UKHSA (UK Health Agency), at the current observed rate of doubling within 2.5 to 3 days by the end of this month, the number of infected can exceed a million," RIA Novosti quoted Javid as saying.
He noted that at the moment, 568 cases of the disease with the new strain have been recorded in the country, but the real number of infections is higher.
According to him, recent evidence suggests that vaccination gives lower immunity to omicron compared to the delta strain.
Earlier, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the omicron strain could have a significant impact on the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.