The army have been drafted in to parts of Kent in the battle against coronavirus.

Due to the increasing cases of Omicron spreading through the county and the country a major project is underway to get as many people vaccinated by the New Year as possible.

More staff are being drafted into vaccination sites around Kent, with support from the army in Dartford and Maidstone, and increasing hours.

Additionally, a number of new sites are being set up in Walderslade, Tunbridge Wells and the Isle of Sheppey.

Kent Resilience Forum (KRF), which includes Kent County Council and Medway Council, Kent and Medway NHS, the fire service, police and local authorities are working with the Department for Health and Soacial Care (DHSC), UK Health Security and the NHS.

The priority of the group is to support communities through the challenges they are facing as a result of the pandemic, and to ensure vulnerable people and those most affected by Covid-19 get the help they needed.

KCC's interim director for public health Allison Duggal said: “Omicron numbers are now increasing exponentially across Kent and Medway. Together with KRF partners we are working hard to meet vastly increased demand for tests and vaccinations.

“We urge residents to book their Covid-19 booster, and the NHS booking system is open with significantly increased availability. If you haven’t had a jab yet, we know that even one dose provides some protection, while a full course significantly increases that protection.

“Remembering the basics can also help more than people might imagine. Wash or sanitise hands regularly, meet in groups outside, or open doors and windows inside. Remember to wear a face covering where required, or in any busy areas, and take regular lateral flow tests, even if you’ve been vaccinated.

“We know this is a hugely challenging and uncertain time for all our residents and we will do everything we can to offer support as the situation unfolds.”

Chief Nurse Paula Wilkins said: “Our vaccination teams are pulling out all the stops to boost capacity so we can get more people boosted. Last week we saw a huge increase in appointments with 196,000 available across over 60 vaccine sites. On Saturday 18 December we had our biggest ever Covid-19 vaccine day with over 33,700 jabs given; beating our previous record of 28,000 from March.

“Vaccine teams across Kent and Medway are bringing in more staff and extending hours and days to help more people get boosted. It’s been an amazing response to the Government’s call to offer a booster to all eligible over-18s by the end of the year.

“In most cases we are focussing on bookable appointments. With demand high and it being winter we want to limit the need for people to queue outside without a confirmed appointment. There are a few walk-in options and if specific sites have spare capacity on any given day, they may promote time-limited walk-in options; but please double check a clinic is offering walk-ins before travelling.”

The Kent Resilience Forum is urging everyone to continue doing all they can to reduce the risk of infection and protect themselves and others around them.

Kent County Council and Medway Council have responded to a surge in demand for symptom-free tests, with in-person test sites opening in Maidstone and Ashford.