DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has encouraged the public to get the Covid-19 vaccination after receiving his booster jab.

Currently only those over the age of 40 and those with underlying health conditions in Northern Ireland are eligible to take up the booster jab six months after their second dose of the vaccine.

Sir Jeffrey (pictured) said all those who are eligible should take it.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant reminds us of the threat still posed by Covid-19 and the need to take actions which will be effective in reducing its spread and easing the pressure on our health service,” he said.

“We know that the booster programme is the single most effective tool that we have and evidence given to Executive ministers highlighted that it would reduce hospitalisations by at least 15%.

“I would encourage everyone eligible to take up their booster.

“The Covid vaccines not only help protect you, but help reduce the spread of the virus and help protect others.”

l The Omicron variant of coronavirus appears to have already reached the island of Ireland, the minister of health in Dublin has said.

Stephen Donnelly said there are already some suspected cases of the new variant, with genome sequencing under way for confirmation yesterday.

“The working assumption at this stage would be that at least some of these, it is likely, will be sequenced as the new variant,” he said.