The country, one of the most affected in Europe by the pandemic, recorded Wednesday 183,037 cases in 24 hours, and 57 additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 148,089, according to official government figures.

In England, 10,462 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 on Wednesday, a level unprecedented since early March and which marks an increase of 48% in one week, according to the public health service NHS England.

In London, the epicenter of the Omicron wave, 3,310 people were in hospital with the coronavirus, 63% more than the previous week and a highest since February.

Those figures also include those who tested positive after admission, while no update was available on Wednesday regarding hospitalizations across the UK.

Faced with the wave of the Omicron variant, now dominant, the United Kingdom has launched a massive vaccine booster campaign which has already allowed an additional dose to be administered to 57.5% of the population aged over 12 years.

The goal is to offer one to the entire adult population before the end of the year.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that the "overwhelming majority" of patients admitted to intensive care, up to 90% of them, had not received a booster dose.

"I have spoken to doctors who say that up to 90% of people in intensive care have not had a booster dose," he said on the sidelines of a visit to a vaccination center, renewing its appeal to the population to receive an additional dose of vaccine.

"If you are not vaccinated, you are on average eight times more likely to end up in hospital," said Johnson.

Despite rising hospitalizations, and building on the progress of vaccination, the leader ruled on Wednesday to tighten restrictions in place in England to curb the spread of the virus, unlike Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, which notably closed nightclubs.

"The Omicron variant continues to pose real problems, we are seeing the increase in cases in hospitals, but it is clearly less virulent than the Delta variant and we can continue to proceed as we are doing", explained the leader.

However, he called on the population to celebrate the New Year "with caution".

Outside the Royal London Hospital on December 28, 2021 Hollie Adams AFP

However, health authorities fear that despite a lower risk, the number of cases is so high that it puts insurmountable pressure on the hospital system, especially as a growing number of caregivers, infected, are forced to isolation.

According to the firefighters' union, more than a third of the intervention trucks were not operational on Christmas Day due to a lack of personnel, contaminated by the Covid or having to isolate themselves.

© 2021 AFP