On Monday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News there were 10 individuals in hospital with the new Omicron variant. Dominic Raab then said there were 250, but later told the BBC there were nine. Officials say there are in fact still 10.
There are currently 10 people in hospital with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 – not 250, as Dominic Raab told Sky News.
The deputy prime minister later told the BBC that there were nine people in hospital with the variant.
He later accused another broadcaster of “ranting” after being challenged on the confusion, which comes as the government seeks to ramp up the booster vaccine programme.
Earlier this morning, Mr Raab, who also acts as justice secretary, told Kay Burley there are “a significant number” in hospital with the variant, but could not say how many are on ventilators.
Pressed on exact numbers, Mr Raab said: “Well the last I saw was in the low hundreds, I think 250 the last time I looked – but of course, the data is being updated all of the time.”
In the same hour, the deputy PM revised his figure for the number of people in hospital with Omicron down from 250 to nine during his appearance on BBC Breakfast.
“I know we’ve had one death,” he said. “I think we’ve got nine people who are in hospital with it.”
Officials later clarified that this was incorrect too, and there are in fact 10 people in hospital with the new variant, as Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Kay Burley yesterday.
The deputy PM later accused a broadcaster of “ranting” as he was challenged over the confusion he sowed on the number of Omicron hospital admissions.
He told the presenter of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Adil Ray: “First of all, I misheard one of the questions around whether it was hospitalisations of Omicron-related patients or more generally, but the figures are: one death from Omicron, 10 in hospital, and I can tell you the latest daily hospitalisations run at 900.”
Speaking to Sky News earlier, Mr Raab said that if the rate of transmission continues, “we will see those numbers increase very dramatically”.
“A proportion of those hospitalised will possibly die or have a very serious suffering” due to Omicron, he warned.
But he said there was currently “no plan” for more restrictions beyond Plan B.
Plan B measures are being voted on by MPs today – they include the mandatory use of face masks in some settings and the use of COVID passes for some venues.
Source: Sky.com