ALMOST 1,700 cases of the Omicron Covid variant have been recorded across Dorset.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency up to December 22 - the latest on the government website - shows a total of 1,690 positive results across the county since records began.

Of these, 1,041 cases were confirmed across the BCP Council area. 

Read more: Parts of Bournemouth and Poole with highest numbers of Covid cases in county

This is the 12th highest number of Omicron cases by local authority.

Meanwhile, 649 people have so far tested positive in the Dorset Council area.

Lambeth had the highest number of Omicron cases at 2,668.

Read more: Dorset vaccine plans for 12-15 year olds is a “significant undertaking”

This is followed by Wandsworth with 2,394 and Nottingham at 2,020.

According to the data, at the time there were a total of 102,729 cases of Omicron seen across England.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the vaccination campaign had allowed England to maintain its current level of coronavirus controls.

“The Omicron variant continues to cause real problems. You are seeing cases rising in hospitals,” he said.

Read more: Number of people in hospital with Covid at UHD falls over past four weeks

“But it is obviously milder than the Delta variant and we are able to proceed in the way that we are.”

That was due to the “huge proportion of the British public” which had been vaccinated.

“That is allowing us to go ahead with New Year in the cautious way that we are.”

It was announced on December 27 that no further Covid restrictions would be put in place in England before the new year after ministers reviewed the latest data.

Sajid Javid said “people should remain cautious” and urged those marking the start of 2022 to consider testing themselves beforehand and to celebrate outside, with the Omicron variant growing so fast that it accounts for 90% of all new Covid-19 cases.

The decision not to impose restrictions beyond the Plan B measures already in place in England comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was briefed on the impact Christmas mixing had had on coronavirus infections and hospital admissions.