British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that Britain is in an "incomparably better" position than last year in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the country's daily infections repeatedly rising to new highs these days fueled by the Omicron variant, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
"Whatever the challenges that fate continues to throw in our way and whatever the anxieties we may have about the weeks and months ahead, particularly about Omicron and the growing numbers in hospitals...we can say one thing with certainty -- our position this Dec. 31 is incomparably better than last year," Johnson said in his New Year's message posted on social media.
The prime minister hailed the success of his government's COVID-19 vaccine program and the "heroic" public response to the booster campaign, claiming that the target to offer a third dose to every eligible adult in the country had been met.
Around 90 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 82 percent have received both doses, according to the latest figures. More than 58 percent have received booster jabs, or the third dose of a coronavirus vaccine.