Around 20million people in England are eligible for the Covid top-up jab this year, including the over-65s, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

UK Health Security Agency bosses today posted another 26,147 positive swabs over the last 24 hours – the lowest figure in two months and a quarter fewer than last week.

Government dashboard data shows there were 67,159 new positive tests recorded over the last 24 hours, 52.6 per cent more than last Wednesday’s figure of 44,017.

Official daily data shows another 51,899 people across the UK’s four nations tested positive, a drop of more than a fifth in a week.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced 10,212 new Covid cases and 13 deaths as the chief health officer said the Omicron peak may have been reached on Gold Coast.

At SAGE’s most recent meeting last Thursday, chaired by Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, the group admitted the anticipated surge in hospitalisations in the UK had ‘not been seen so far’.

Not every patient recorded as a hospitalised Covid case is in hospital for the virus, with many simple testing positive during routine admission checks, it has emerged.

The UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of the Omicron variant, SAGE have warned.

Those who received two AstraZeneca doses, plus a Pfizer or Moderna booster, have 60 per cent protection against Omicron for two to weeks after the third jab.

The Government scientist, whose modelling spooked Number 10 into ordering the original coronavirus lockdown, said was the UK was experiencing a ‘very explosive wave of infection’.