LONDON: Britain's health minister Sajid Javid said on Sunday there might well be more than two cases of the newly identified Omicron coronavirus variant in Britain, but the government was doing all it could to try to stem its spread.

"There may well be more cases and that is why when we confirmed these two cases yesterday, one in Essex (southeastern England) and one in Nottingham (central England), we immediately went about making sure we have properly traced all their contacts and also we are doing targeted testing in both of those areas and then sequencing of all positive tests," Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Louise Heavens) ((elizabeth.piper@thomsonreuters.com; 07979746994; Reuters Messaging: elizabeth.piper.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))