Norfolk still has just the single identified case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, public health bosses have confirmed.

And test and tracing of that individual, in north Norfolk, found no evidence the virus has spread to others.

The Norfolk case, linked to travel to South Africa, was one of eight cases of the new variant confirmed in England on Tuesday (November 30) by the UK Health Security Agency.

There have now been 336 Omicron cases confirmed in the UK, but Norfolk County Council said, so far, no more had been identified in the country.

And a spokesman said: "We can confirm that test and tracing has been completed and found no evidence of transmission in the community."

Meanwhile, statistics for the week leading up to Tuesday, November 30, showed a slight increase in Norfolk Covid cases.

Case rates were up just under 5pc on the previous seven days, from 347 cases per 100,000 people to 364.1 cases per 100,000 people.

That was below the East of England rate of 508.2 per 100,000 and the national rate of 461.3 per 100,000.

Great Yarmouth saw the biggest increase, with a 23.4pc increase in cases, up from 310.5 cases per 100,000 to 383.1 per 100,000.

There was an increase of just over 14pc in South Norfolk, from 281 cases per 100,000 to 320.8 per 100,000.

In North Norfolk, where the first recorded case of the Omicron variant was identified, case rates were up 4.8pc, from 337.6 cases per 100,000 to 353.7.

Case rates in Norwich went up 7.5pc, to 331.3 cases per 100,000 from 308.1, while King's Lynn case rates were up 0.5pc, from 397.4 cases per 100,000 to 399.4.

Rates fell in Broadland and Breckland. In Broadland they were down 0.6pc from 397.9 per 100,000 to 395.7, while there was a 4.2pc drop in Breckland, from 384.4 cases per 100,000 to 368.1.

As of Thursday, December 2, there were 54 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Norfolk's hospitals - four in critical care.

Dr Louise Smith, Norfolk's director of public health, last week urged people to consider meeting up outside, rather than inside, over Christmas to help stem the spread of coronavirus.