UK battles Omicron 'tidal wave' with booster jabs as infections rise and first death from variant recorded

London (CNN) Britain is facing a "tidal wave" of infections from the new Omicron coronavirus variant, ministers have warned, as they sound the alarm on rapid transmission rates in London and across the country.

On Monday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed the country's first death of a person with the variant. He told reporters at a vaccination clinic: "I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that's something we need to set on one side and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population."

The United Kingdom increased its Covid-19 alert level on Sunday and is once again accelerating its rollout of booster jabs in an effort to respond to the new wave of cases.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid warned on Monday that the data on Omicron infections is unlike that of earlier variants.

"It's spreading at a phenomenal rate, something that we've never seen before -- it's doubling every two to three days in infections," Javid told Sky News on Monday. He added that it was too soon to tell if cases of the new variant are milder.