'A simple question': MP's embarrassing blunder when asked about Omicron
A British MP has been slammed for getting a "simple" question about Covid-19 data wrong multiple times across several channels.
Speaking on the UK's Sky News, MP Dominic Raab was asked how many people were in hospital with the Omicron variant as of Tuesday.
"The last I saw was in the low hundreds, I think 250 the last time I looked, but of course the data is being updated," he said.
This was later cleared up on Sky News when political correspondent Kate McCann clarified there were only 10 confirmed cases of Omicron in hospital in the UK.
"I'm sure people will be pleased to hear that it's nowhere near as high as 250," she said.
"We understand that Dominic Raab misunderstood or misheard the question. He meant to say there are 10 people in hospital with the Omicron variant at the moment."
However, on BBC Breakfast Mr Raab said he understood there had been one death related to Omicron and then said there were nine people with the variant in hospital.
After appearing on Sky News and BBC Breakfast, Mr Raab went on Good Morning Britain, where he was again asked how many people were in hospital with the new variant.
"We've heard you've done two interviews this morning, you were asked a simple question — how many people are in hospital?" Good Morning Britain host Adil Ray told Mr Raab.
"You told Sky News 250 people, you told BBC Breakfast nine. If you don't know the actual basics, how can we respond to it?"
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Mr Raab was then given another chance to tell Britain how many Omicron-related hospitalisations there were — 10, with one death.
"You've given three different numbers on three different national news shows to the population," Mr Ray said after Mr Raab gave the correct figure.
"I understand you like ranting at your politicians in the morning, but can I answer the question because it's a fair challenge and I want to answer it," Mr Raab responded.
"First of all, I misheard one of the questions around whether it was hospitalisations of Omicron related patients or generally but the figures are one death from Omicron, 10 in hospital and I can tell you that the latest daily hospitalisations run at 900."
Britain has been the first country to confirm an Omicron related death, and while it is possible one elsewhere has occurred, no other country has publicly confirmed one.
The UK has not given any details about the death of the patient, other than the person was diagnosed in hospital.
'You've done two interviews this morning, you were asked a simple question, how many people are in hospital? You told Sky News 250 people and you told BBC Breakfast 9.'
Dominic Raab clarifies 10 people are in hospital with Omicron, after getting the numbers wrong. pic.twitter.com/MYccrkXIsN— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) December 14, 2021
The government is urging people to come forward and get a Covid booster shot, amid the discovery of the new variant which is spreading fast across the UK, Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said.
In the UK, some 24 million people have had their booster shots.
"Boosters give you the best possible protection against the virus and should significantly reduce your risk of serious illness and hospitalisation," Prof Whitty said.
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