Update provided on number of Omicron cases in Slough

At least 20 cases of the Omicron variant have now been identified in Slough, a public health official has revealed.

The emergence of the new COVID-19 strain has seen the UK’s coronavirus alert level moved from three to four – meaning transmission of the virus is high or rising exponentially.

A meeting of Slough Borough Council’s outbreak engagement forum held tonight heard how 20 cases of the Omicron have so far been detected.

Dr Sohail Bhatti, interim service lead for public health, said: “As of a couple of days ago we’d had 20 cases that we knew of however I would say that’s an underestimate.

“A few days a go it looked like 40 per cent of our cases were coming in as Omicron which is roughly the same as London.

“The anticipation in London was Omicron would become the majority variant as of today so I don’t see any great reason why it wouldn’t be dissimilar in Slough.”

The meeting heard how Slough has approximately been recording 600 coronavirus cases every seven days over recent weeks.

Dr Bhatti said this has accelerated over the past two days with roughly 1,000 infections reported in the borough.

He said COVID-19 cases are predominantly being reported among women and youngsters aged 10 to 19.

The Government has set a target of every adult in the UK being offered a booster vaccination for coronavirus by the end of December.

Slough’s Salt Hill Vaccination Centre is continuing to offer booster jabs but this is by appointment only.

The meeting heard that the council has suspended the operation of its bus lane on the approach to the vaccination centre to help ease traffic congestion.