People wear face masks while walking in an empty street in London /AP Photo

The United Kingdom has recorded its highest daily coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic as a further 78,610 COVID-19 infections were reported on Wednesday.

Iran PressEurope: With a new highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus surging across the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a “tidal wave” of infections.

Speaking at a news conference, the British British prime minister said the doubling rate of omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days.

He added: “I’m afraid we’re also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalizations up by 10 percent nationally week on week and up by almost a third in London."

Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, earlier called the Omicron variant “probably the most significant threat” since the start of the pandemic.

More than 11 million people have now tested positive for the disease in the UK, which has a total population of around 67 million.

216

Read more:

British PM says new UK Coronavirus is more deadly

Omicron spreading faster than any other COVID variant: WHO

COVID omicron variant detected in 38 countries: WHO