INTERNATIONAL: Britain faces a "tidal wave" of the Omicron variant of coronavirus and two vaccine doses will not be enough to contain it, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced on Sunday, 12 December, as he has accelerated the booster rollout programme.

The announcement came after government scientists have lifted the COVID alert level to 4 on a 5-point scale, Johnson has said the booster programme must go faster because scientists do not yet know if Omicron was less severe than other variants.

Over the past year, United Kingdom have shown that vaccination is the key to beating COVID and that it works. The UK was the first country in the world to administer a vaccine, Johnson has recalled that they delivered the fastest roll-out in Europe. But again, the world is facing an emergency in the battle with the new variant, Omicron, and must urgently reinforce wall of vaccine protection to keep everyone safe.

"A tidal wave of Omicron is coming," Johnson has warned in televised statement on Sunday evening. "And I'm afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need."

He has also added that scientists knew Omicron was much more transmissible and that a wave of the variant through a population that was not boosted would result in so many hospitalisations the National Health Service would struggle to cope.

"Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year," he has said.

^{PHOTO: BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON GIVING A STATEMENT ON OMICRON VARIANT, URGING PEOPLE TO GET BOOSTER VACCINES}