STOCKHOLM: Sweden set a daily record for new coronavirus cases, registering 17,320 infections on Jan. 4, health agency data showed on Wednesday, with the more infectious Omicron variant dominating.

The number of new cases in Sweden has surged since November and in December the government tightened restrictions on public gatherings and urged all those who can, to work from home in an effort to minimise the spread of the virus.

"During the last few weeks we have seen a shift and now the Omicron variant is dominating in terms of new infections in Sweden," Britta Bjorkholm at the Public Health Agency told a news conference.

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The surge in infections is following the Agency's worst-case scenario, published before Christmas, and Bjorkholm said new cases were expected to peak sometime in mid-January.

The daily infection figures are typically revised somewhat as any delayed records are added. The previous record was 11,507 cases, registered on Dec. 30.