The UK on Saturday reported 633 new cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, biggest daily jump of the variant since it was first detected in the country.

The number is a sharp rise from Friday when 448 new cases of the variant were recorded.

England reported the highest number of cases with 618, followed by Scotland with 11, then Wales and Northern Ireland with two cases each.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the total number of Omicron cases in the country now stands at 1,898.

England, again, accounts for the highest number of cases with 1,757, followed by Scotland with 121, then Wales with 15 and Northern Ireland with five.

Meanwhile, health experts in the UK warned that the Omicron variant could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months if no further measures are implemented beyond Plan B.

According to projections by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), a best-case scenario could see a peak of more than 2,000 daily hospital admissions, with 175,000 hospitalisations and 24,700 deaths between December 1 2021 and April 30 2022.

On the other hand, a worst-case scenario would see about 492,000 hospitalisations and 74,800 deaths.

The LSHTM said certain measures, like restrictions on indoor hospitality, closure of some entertainment venues, and limits on gathering sizes from early 2022 would significantly curb the wave and reduce hospitalisations and deaths.

As of Friday, the UKHSA said that none of the Omicron cases to date had resulted in someone going to hospital or dying.

(With input from agencies)