More than 90% of community COVID cases in England are now Omicron, according to latest data.

As it is now by far the dominant variant, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it would stop providing Omicron-specific daily updates from 31 December.

Today, another 39,923 Omicron cases have been detected across the UK – the second-highest daily figure so far.

It takes the total number of Omicron cases identified in the UK to 210,122.

The highest daily figure was on 27 December – when there were 45,307. Yesterday, 17,269 were detected.

Scotland has already stopped reporting Omicron cases separately from other COVID cases in daily reports.

Omicron is more transmissible than Delta but analysis by the UKHSA indicates people with Omicron are significantly less likely to develop severe symptoms.

Early results suggest people are 30 to 45% less likely to go to A&E if they are infected with Omicron rather than the Delta variant.

They are also 50 to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital.

But the prime minister, on a visit to a vaccination clinic in Milton Keynes, said: “The Omicron variant continues to cause real problems. You are seeing cases rising in hospitals.”

However, he added that Omicron was “obviously milder than the Delta variant” and it meant “we are able to proceed in the way that we are”.

Boris Johnson said the jabs campaign had allowed England to maintain its current level of coronavirus controls, and no new restrictions will be brought in for the remainder of this year.

Nightclubs in Scotland and Wales are currently not allowed to open, and the rule of six is in place for pubs and restaurants in Wales.

In Scottish pubs, a one-metre distance must be maintained between tables, groups of people meeting will be limited to three households, and alcohol must only be served at the table.