UK's Johnson urges people to get COVID-19 vaccine in Christmas message

London [UK], December 24 (ANI/Sputnik): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged people in the United Kingdom to get a COVID-19 vaccine as a Christmas present to their "family and the whole country," amid an unprecedented surge of infections caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
"And though the time for buying presents is theoretically running out, there is still a wonderful thing you can give your family and the whole country ... and that is to get that jab, whether it is your first or second, or your booster," Johnson said in a video message released by his office on Christmas Eve.
The prime minister, who has resisted calls from the scientific community to impose more COVID-19 restrictions this week or after Christmas, advised people, however, to take extra precautions when meeting their families and friends during the festivities.
"We must test ourselves and take extra care when meeting elderly or vulnerable relatives," he stressed, admitting that "after two years of this pandemic, I can't say that we are through it."
On Thursday, the UK set a new record of almost 120,000 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. (ANI/Sputnik)