UK reserves 'possibility of taking further action' amid surging Omicron cases: PM

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that the government reserves the "possibility of taking further action" to protect public health because of the spread of the Omicron variant.

The prime minister said he is following the data "hour by hour" and warned the rules could still be tightened in the days to come.

Britain reported 91,743 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, the second highest recorded daily number ever, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 11,453,121, according to official figures released Monday.

Another 8,044 Omicron cases have been detected in Britain, taking the total Omicron cases in the country to 45,145, the UK health security agency (UKHSA) confirmed.

The country also reported a further 44 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the national death toll to 147,261.