Figures set to be released which shows how many cases of Omicron are in the county

Public health experts are planning to publish the number of cases of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Currently, there are no data available which determines how widespread the new variant, first identified in South Africa, is within the community.

More than 500 people currently have the new variant across the UK, but the number of cases in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has not been disclosed.

One of the first people to be diagnosed with the new variant was a University of Nottingham student. The university said the student had been off campus and was self-isolating.

Nottinghamshire County Council said further investigations into the Nottingham case were being carried out at Heymann Primary School in West Bridgford. This included mass testing.

- Advertisement -

The school on Waddington Drive has around 650 pupils.

On 30 November, Jonathan Gribbin, Director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire, said:  

“As part of routine investigations into a single confirmed case of the Omicron variant in Nottingham we have undertaken some targeted testing at Heymann Primary School, due to a link between a pupil and the confirmed case. The information we gather from this testing will assist us in understanding the extent of any spread of the Omicron variant.

“Anyone receiving a positive result will be given advice in line with government guidance.”

An update on the school testing has been requested and clarity on if there are now more cases of the new variant in the county. This information has not been provided.

But a spokesman for Public Health England told LDRS: “The UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) is working to put in place more detailed breakdowns of cases at Local Authority level and will publish this in the days ahead.”

The UK Health Security Agency said analysis suggests that if the growth rate and doubling time continue at the rate the agency has seen in the last two weeks, the UK can expect to see at least 50 per cent of coronavirus cases to be caused by Omicron variant in the next 2 to 4 weeks.

The agency said: “Whilst there are insufficient data to quantify either vaccine effectiveness or risk of reinfection in the UK exactly, the observed growth, case distribution and early analyses in both South Africa and the UK are consistent with some loss of immune protection against infection. New studies are being undertaken to assess this further.”