LONDON: Hospitalisation rates are rising in some areas in Britain as the Omicron coronavirus variant sparks a wave of new infections, England's top health official said on Wednesday as he warned the number of cases would break records in the next few weeks.

"I'm afraid we have to be realistic that records will be broken a lot over the next few weeks as the rates continue to go up," England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a news conference.

First death with Omicron variant in United Kingdom

"The rates have remained reasonably flat over quite a while reflecting where we've been with Delta (variant) over the last several weeks ... but they are beginning to increase in some places, particularly in London."