Health

UK records 14 omicron-related deaths, 129 hospitalized with new COVID-19 variant

There are currently 129 people in hospital with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and so far, 14 people have died with it, junior health minister Gillian Keegan told Sky News on Wednesday.

Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.

She also said the UK government would not hesitate to bring in further COVID-19 restrictions if the data showed it was necessary.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he would not introduce new restrictions in England before Christmas, but the situation remained extremely difficult and the government might need to act afterwards.

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Health

New global campaign boosts lifesaving vaccines

Two UN agencies alongside the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the global vaccine alliance Gavi launched on Wednesday a campaign to scale up programmes to save lives, marking the start of World Immunisation Week, celebrated annually during the last week of April.

Health

Latest hunger data spotlights extent of famine risk in Gaza, Sudan and beyond

Dangerous levels of acute hunger affected a staggering 281.6 million people last year – the fifth year in a row that food insecurity has worsened – heightening growing fears of famine and “widespread death” from Gaza to Sudan and beyond, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.