In a national address on Sunday night, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the citizens against the “tidal wave” omicron infections while announcing an end-of-year deadline for the country’s booster vaccination program.

Key quotes

“Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the New Year,”

“There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming, and I’m afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need.”

His comments came hours after the UK raised its covid alert level to four from three in light of the surge in cases. 

Market reaction

As the final busy week of the year 2021 kicks in, markets seem to be in a tepid mood in early dealings, weighing on the GBP/USD pair.

The spot was last seen trading at 1.3236, down 0.23% on the day.