UK Covid alert level raised to level four amid Omicron case surge

1,239 new daily cases of Omicron were announced on Saturday

The United Kingdom's coronavirus alert level has been increased to level four in response to the spread of Omicron, the UK's chief medical officers have said. The chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland stated on Sunday that they were recommending that the alert level was raised from three to four. The last time the Covid alert was at level four was in May. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to make a televised statement on Covid at 8pm on Sunday. He is expected to give an update on the booster jab programme. In terms of the risk levels - which are measured by a five-level, colour-coded alert system - level four means that there is a high or rising level of transmission. A statement read: "Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.