WHO claims Omicron is spreading at an unprecedented rate, according to COVID.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the novel coronavirus strain Omicron is spreading at an unprecedented rate around the world.

In 77 nations, cases of the severely modified form have been confirmed.

But at a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was probably in many others that had yet to detect it.

Dr Tedros said he was concerned that not enough was being done to tackle the variant.

“Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems,” he said.

The Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa in November, and the country has since seen a surge in infections. President Cyril Ramaphosa has tested positive for COVID-19, and is currently isolated with mild symptoms.

A number of countries have introduced travel bans affecting South Africa and its neighbours following the emergence of Omicron, but this has failed to stop it from spreading around the world.

In other developments

  • More than 800,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus – the highest recorded national death toll from the global pandemic
  • UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson won backing for Covid passes in England, despite the biggest revolt by members of his party since he became PM
  • The UK government also announced on Tuesday that all 11 countries on its travel red list would be taken off, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying the Omicron variant had spread so widely the rules no longer had much purpose.
  • Italy has extended a state of emergency until 31 March 2022, citing concerns over Omicron. The measures, which were due to expire at the end of December, give the government more power to limit travel and public gatherings
  • The Netherlands says it will close primary schools a week before the Christmas holidays are due to start, in a pre-emptive bid to tackle infections
  • Norway has announced a ban on serving alcohol in bars and restaurants, among other measures

In the press conference on Tuesday, Dr Tedros reiterated concerns about vaccine inequity, as some countries accelerate rollouts of a booster shot in response to Omicron.

Recent studies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine showed it produced far fewer neutralising antibodies against Omicron than against the original strain, but that this deficit could be reversed by a third, booster, jab.

Dr Tedros said boosters “could play an important role” in curbing the spread of Covid-19, but that it was “a question of prioritisation”.

“The order matters. Giving boosters to groups at low risk of severe disease or death simply endangers the lives of those at high risk who are still waiting for their primary doses because of supply constraints,” he said.

Supplies to the global vaccine-sharing programme Covax have increased in recent months.

However, world health officials fear a shortfall of tens of millions of doses – like the one which occurred in the middle of this year when India suspended its vaccine exports – could happen again.

In poorer countries, some vulnerable people are yet to receive a single dose.

CORONAVIRUSGlobal vaccine rollout

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Percent of people fully vaccinatedNo data020406080+Scroll tableFilter table:The WorldAfricaAsiaEuropeMiddle EastLatin America & CaribbeanNorth AmericaOceania

LocationPercent fully vaccinatedTotal doses
World468,511,726,559
China802,621,190,000
India371,335,465,563
US60485,359,746
Brazil65320,737,938
Indonesia37249,974,816
Japan78198,248,857
Mexico51137,357,032
Russia42136,087,233
Germany69135,406,073
Pakistan25134,818,017
Vietnam59132,873,501
Bangladesh26129,238,605
Turkey60121,804,033
UK69121,616,098
France71112,800,038
Iran58109,807,742
Italy73102,029,307
Thailand6297,403,117
Philippines3797,237,440
South Korea8190,413,574
Spain8180,647,211
Argentina6871,507,682
Canada7763,335,536
Colombia5160,630,010
Malaysia7854,591,679
Morocco6149,316,418
Saudi Arabia6548,104,477
Egypt1746,239,670
Peru5945,021,391
Poland5544,239,198
Chile8542,219,185
Australia7540,331,164
Uzbekistan1736,064,004
Taiwan6333,607,831
Sri Lanka6431,054,377
Cambodia8029,502,058
Cuba8329,006,443
Myanmar2228,707,770
South Africa2627,090,975
Ukraine2926,718,836
Venezuela3426,314,390
Ecuador6625,840,596
Netherlands7424,791,526
United Arab Emirates9022,166,754
Belgium7519,877,988
Nepal2919,157,444
Portugal8918,411,867
Kazakhstan4417,147,214
Sweden7116,584,289
Israel6216,337,639
Greece6515,645,361
Romania4015,407,313
Austria6915,271,012
Hungary6114,655,778
Czech Republic6114,468,552
Dominican Republic5213,945,195
Iraq1313,174,583
Switzerland6612,637,185
Algeria1212,293,060
Nigeria211,863,889
Mozambique1411,730,770
Tunisia4511,012,280
Azerbaijan4510,894,080
Guatemala2410,586,654
Ethiopia110,429,727
Denmark7710,347,965
Angola1010,319,552
Rwanda2910,268,499
Hong Kong619,663,557
Singapore879,489,264
El Salvador639,395,152
Norway719,117,805
Bolivia379,064,726
Honduras399,030,824
Finland748,928,976
Ireland778,659,409
Kenya68,198,259
Serbia468,075,369
Jordan378,065,101
New Zealand737,897,646
Uganda37,813,170
Turkmenistan527,580,976
Costa Rica647,222,020
Zimbabwe206,956,144
Nicaragua386,942,756
Uruguay766,865,377
Belarus306,677,937
Kuwait746,677,397
Paraguay386,324,638
Oman545,934,585
Laos425,830,021
Tajikistan275,711,036
Panama565,685,382
Afghanistan95,228,706
Qatar765,066,606
Slovakia435,055,765
Ivory Coast64,812,235
Mongolia654,419,007
Croatia504,386,603
Lithuania673,888,676
Lebanon263,825,224
Bulgaria273,506,354
Ghana33,493,688
Sudan33,276,654
Palestinian Territories273,184,868
Bahrain673,055,893
Slovenia562,762,009
Libya112,536,160
Guinea62,502,912
Georgia262,324,131
Latvia662,250,883
Albania352,196,145
Togo102,159,257
Kyrgyzstan142,122,034
Senegal51,928,411
Mauritius721,875,132
Mauritania151,812,604
Tanzania21,699,523
Moldova241,686,020
North Macedonia381,675,793
Kosovo431,644,358
Bosnia and Herzegovina221,553,874
Malawi31,553,347
Estonia611,498,693
Botswana221,483,181
Syria41,422,377
Cyprus661,413,274
Trinidad and Tobago471,353,722
Armenia171,352,805
Zambia41,264,656
Fiji661,257,375
Jamaica181,164,194
Bhutan721,154,093
Somalia41,147,627
Benin71,144,390
Timor-Leste361,142,003
Malta84993,372
Luxembourg68973,411
Cameroon2972,360
Niger2971,636
Mali2963,968
Macau68945,950
Sierra Leone5923,880
Yemen1786,027
Brunei86783,549
Maldives67781,076
Madagascar2742,069
Namibia12697,262
Iceland82689,243
Guyana36687,627
Congo2686,096
Burkina Faso2661,796
Lesotho29635,881
Liberia11605,863
Cape Verde45550,192
Montenegro42543,835
Comoros28527,119
Papua New Guinea2498,598
Suriname38484,487
Equatorial Guinea14446,624
Central African Republic7436,772
Belize49416,878
Guinea-Bissau1406,401
Gabon8392,898
Eswatini24344,255
Barbados49294,304
Bahamas36288,008
Chad0.4769285,922
Gambia9273,365
South Sudan2263,939
Samoa61262,895
DR Congo0.0832246,840
Solomon Islands7228,912
Jersey75194,274
Haiti0.5795184,769
Seychelles79182,903
Vanuatu15147,609
Sao Tome and Principe22134,615
Isle of Man76133,548
Cayman Islands85128,181
Antigua and Barbuda59119,809
Tonga43119,535
Djibouti3108,945
Bermuda73106,520
Andorra65106,428
Guernsey21104,457
Gibraltar118103,818
Saint Lucia26102,696
Kiribati1982,167
Faroe Islands7878,347
Greenland6678,120
Grenada3175,893
St Vincent and the Grenadines2257,295
Turks and Caicos Islands6956,343
Dominica3856,179
Liechtenstein6655,894
Saint Kitts and Nevis4753,486
Monaco5949,980
San Marino7048,672
British Virgin Islands5534,992
Cook Islands6724,326
Anguilla6120,284
Nauru6714,863
Tuvalu4912,114
Saint Helena587,892
Falkland Islands504,407
Burundi0.01694,010
Montserrat282,949
Niue712,352
Tokelau711,936
Pitcairn10094
British Indian Ocean Territory00
Eritrea00
North Korea00
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands00
Vatican00

This information is regularly updated but may not reflect the latest totals or vaccines administered for each location. Total vaccinations refers to the number of doses given, and may include booster doses in addition to those required for full vaccination. The definition of full vaccination varies by location and vaccine type and is subject to change over time. Full vaccination can refer to one dose of a one-shot vaccine, two doses of a two-dose vaccine, etc., or sometimes recovery from infection plus one dose of a vaccine. Definitions have not yet been updated to account for booster campaigns to control the spread of new variants.

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