UK government admits extreme pressure on hospitals over Omicron outbreak

UK government admits extreme pressure on hospitals over Omicron outbreak

The UK reported a record 218,724 coronavirus cases.

However, for two days the cases have been plagued in London, the place where Ómicron first impacted in the United Kingdom, after multiplying exponentially, and the majority of new infections correspond to the rest of the country.

Epidemiologists have said that this data is very encouraging and that it could indicate that the Omicron peak could evolve like the one it experienced. South Africa, where cases skyrocketed for a month and then leveled off first and started to decline later.

According to the British press, Johnson, who this afternoon will make a statement to Parliament on the coronavirus before answering questions from opposition lawmakers, could also announce some changes in the follow-up of the tests.

Ministers are believed to be considering removing the requirement for follow-up PCR for those who test positive for lateral flow (LTF) but have no symptoms.

Several hospitals in England were declared in emergency due to the increase in hospitalizations due to the advance of the Omicron variant and the large number of personnel who are in quarantine after testing positive or having been in close contact with an infected person.

Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health, admitted on Wednesday the hospital overload in an interview with the BBC network.

“Right now, they are under extreme pressure due to the Omicron variant, due to the number of positive cases and the increase in hospitalizations, and at this point of the year (winter) when they are always under extreme pressure,” he said.

Johnson said Tuesday that The UK had “the opportunity to overcome” the increase in infections without imposing more stringent measures.

However, he acknowledged that the next few weeks will be “challenging” and said that some services will be interrupted by staff absences and vowed to work to relieve pressure on the Public Health Service, known as the NHS.

But the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), a union that brings together more than 400,000 nurses, has warned that NHS staff are exhausted and showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder due to pressure from the health service.

According to RCN England Director Patricia Marquis, the staff are coming under pressure from all angles and urged the government to tell the people the truth about the state of public hospitals.

Meanwhile, Labor Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner will replace Starmer today in the premier’s first question session so far in 2022.

The Labor leader is not believed to have any symptoms of coronavirus, but the infection was detected as part of a routine testing.

Starmer had already tested positive for coronavirus last October and previously had to isolate himself four times after coming into contact with other people who tested positive, including one of his children.

Source From: Ambito

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