COVID-19 infections and related deaths go beyond grim milestones amid a growing risk of overcrowding in British hospitals.
The number of confirmed cases of confirmed coronavirus in the UK has now exceeded three million, as the human cost of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rise amid growing fears about the fast new versions of the virus.
UK authorities on Saturday announced 59,937 other new diseases and 1,035 related deaths, bringing the death toll to 80,868 – one of the highest in Europe, along with Italy.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a third home stay order earlier this week amid warnings that hospitals could override, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday called a “major incident” in the capital and said the spread of COVID -19 was “out of control”.
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker described the situation as “extremely bad”.
“Before most people can be vaccinated, there may be a significant impact on how hospitals can respond. [as well as] death tax and the extent of the disease, ”he said.
To date, more than 1.5 million people in the UK have received a coronavirus injection, with priority given to the elderly, carers and health workers during the vaccination campaign.
The government has launched a new public awareness campaign to get people to better comply with coronavirus restrictions, with Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty appearing in a video advert urging people to stay at home as much as possible, protect the National Health Service (NHS) and save lives.
Citizens of people are also encouraged not to be complacent and to have the virus, or those around them may have COVID-19.
Medical staff transfer patients from an ambulance at the Royal London Hospital [Simon Dawson/Reuters]
Last week, the government announced what is now the third national blockade as they fight a new, more contagious version of coronavirus that has swept across Britain.
The rise in infections threatens hospital overcoming, putting more pressure on doctors and nurses who are already tired after nearly a year of the pandemic.
“We’re hearing about people being treated in ambulances and car parks outside the hospital because there’s no place to admit people,” said Dr Tom Dolphin, a hospital anesthetist. and a spokesperson for the advice of the British Medical Association. “It is reaching the point where we are struggling to maintain basic standards in some hospitals.”
The number of COVID-19 patients treated in a London hospital rose in the first week of January by itself by almost a third, and the number of patients with artificial ventilation rose by more than 40 percent, according to Khan.
Hundreds of firefighters came to the aid of the health service to drive ambulances.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and her husband, Prince Philip, were among those vaccinated on Saturday. It is understood that the monarch decided that the information should be made public to prevent error and profiteering.
The UK is banking on when the Pfizer / BioNTech and Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines are released to stop the spread of the virus.
Regulators in the country this week approved a Moderna vaccine from the U.S. company – the third to be authorized for use.
The government aims to bring in 15 million of the most vulnerable groups – including NHS frontline workers – by mid-February, and has deployed armed forces to help spread out.