COVID-19 cases in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have surged past 30,000 as the Omicron variant continues to make waves throughout the country.

Just like the rest of the country, the Royal Borough has seen high numbers of positive cases recorded. But vaccination rates still remain relatively high compared with its neighbours.

As of Thursday, January 6, the borough has seen 30,670 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic, according to Berkshire Public Health.

The Royal Borough has been recording daily case numbers in its hundreds, with the highest reaching 498, since mid-December.

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This has been primarily driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which is the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the UK.

Although it is less severe compared with other variants, Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved the vaccine booster offer to December 31 to ensure everybody gets an extra layer of protection from the disease.

Councillor Stuart Carroll, lead member for health, said: “It is concerning and worrying when we see high case counts. This is a part of a national and global trend and so there is nothing, sadly, unusual about that.

“I think from a local point of view, what that emphasises is the criticality of vaccination. It does show the importance of testing and people continuing to undertake those basic public health measures and protocols.

“Yes, people should continue to go about their business as we got to learn to live with this virus, but people can make sensible, cautious, and risk-based decisions.

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“I think a big part of that is testing before you are going somewhere to ensure you are negative and testing when you come back.”

Despite the grim picture, Windsor and Maidenhead’s vaccination rate is well above the national average and has the third-highest uptake in Berkshire.

Twenty-nine per cent of the under 50s have had all three doses and 81 per cent of those over that age have received their booster.

Cllr Carroll urged those to get their booster shot or to come forward to get either their first or second dose.

He said: “It is quite clear that vaccines have saved people’s lives and saved people from getting very, very ill.”