Three cases of Covid-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in Basingstoke, a county close to home.

The public has been reassured by Hampshire County Council that the three individuals are isolating, and key contacts are being traced, tested and provided with guidance on the self-isolation requirements to protect the public.

A possible link to foreign travel has been identified.

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One of the cases is linked to Hatch Warren Junior School. As a precaution, Year 4 pupils and teachers at the school are being asked to self-isolate.

Emma Richards, consultant in health protection at UKHSA South East, said: “Following the cases of the new Omicron variant being confirmed in the Basingstoke district, it is critically important that we do everything we can to help stop its spread while we learn more about how infectious it is, whether it could cause more severe illness and how effective our vaccines are to this variant.

“Health protection experts at the UKHSA have been working with Hampshire County Council’s Public Health team to investigate where the individuals have been while in the area and targeted PCR testing will be carried out for the contacts they had.”

No Omicron cases have been confirmed in Berkshire but two cases have been detected in Buckinghamshire.

All the individuals who have tested positive, along with their contacts, are isolating.