Hungary's daily tally of new COVID-19 infections jumped to a record 14,890 Wednesday but the number of patients treated in hospital has remained at a relatively low level.

The government said the new Omicron variant "was spreading strongly", fuelling new infections but by taking up booster vaccines serious symptoms can be avoided.

In Hungary, a country of 10 million, 40,686 people have died of COVID-19. There are 2,645 coronavirus patients in hospital now, including 208 on ventilators.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Alison Williams)