[ad_1]
Britain will face “new waves” of Covid-19 and will likely have the highest death rate in Europe because the government was “too slow” to act, a leading doctor warned.
Professor Anthony Costello of the University College London Institute of Global Health told a committee of parliamentarians that the “harsh reality” is that “we were too slow on a number of things” and the deaths could reach 40,000.
His comments came when the Health Department said a total of 14,576 patients died in the hospital after testing positive for a coronavirus in the UK at 5pm on Thursday, 847 more than the day before.
Professor Costello said: “If we are going to suppress the chain of transmission of this virus in the next stage, we all hope that the national closure and social distancing will cause a great repression of the epidemic so far, but we are going to face more waves.”
“And therefore we need to make sure we have an established system that not only can perform a certain amount of testing in the lab, but has a system at the district and community level.”
Professor Costello, presenting evidence to the Commons Health and Social Assistance Committee, said that “we should not be at fault at this stage” but that “we can make sure that in the second wave we are not too slow.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that the tests will be extended to members of the police, fire and jails, as well as critical workers from local authorities, the judiciary and staff from the Department of Labor and Pensions when necessary.
It follows criticism of a gap between those being tested and testability, with only 18,665 tests conducted in the 24 hours through 9 a.m.Thursday, even though 38,000 tests are available.
Hancock confirmed to the committee that more than 50,000 NHS workers have been screened for coronaviruses, admitting that “he would love to be able to wave a magic wand” to increase supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Parliamentarians were also told that health care personnel are “really concerned” about the safety of patients who are compromised if workers are widely dispersed.
Dr. Alison Pittard, Dean of the School of Intensive Care Medicine, said: “We have had to extend ourselves further and have developed a guideline to try to ensure that it continues to be safe, but if we have to expand further and If we extend Furthermore, there would be concern that security could be compromised.
“So everyone is working really well, we’re doing everything we can, but the staff is really concerned.”
Mrs. Donna Kinnair, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing, told the committee that sick NHS workers are forced to drive two hours away for the test.
He urged: “We need a really clear direction on how we can access evidence both in the NHS and even more so for social care, because they don’t have the same infrastructure as the NHS.”
In the meantime:
– Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the government’s licensing plan for another month until the end of June.
– London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged the government to change its advice to the public about using face masks to combat the spread of the virus.
– Downing Street suggested that summer vacation should not yet be reserved as there is no certainty when the blockade will be lifted and the trip may be resumed.
– Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would deviate from the UK government’s shutdown measures if her advisers told her what was best for her country.
– Number 10 said the number of nursing homes with coronavirus infections was 2,987 as of Tuesday.
Professor Costello, a former British director at the World Health Organization, said “he was not sure that we actually need 100,000 tests per day if we can reduce this epidemic” and that it was “more important to have the systems up and running.”
“How are public health teams restructuring? Do you have plans in place?
“Will they need additional volunteers, for example?”
He also suggested offering incentives to 10% of the population to stay socially isolated so that the economy works again.
“We have to jump-start the economy and if that means blocking 10% of our population, even giving them incentives to remain in quarantine and with digital apps to help monitor their symptoms and provide support, that’s the way to really keep this in March”. until we get a vaccine and safe immunity for the herd. “
Committee chairman Jeremy Hunt later called for “a massive increase, not only in testing, but also in tracking everyone who has been in contact with someone who has the virus.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One show: “If we are going to be in a position where we can track and trace every person who has Covid or could have had Covid in three weeks, because that’s when we could do what next potentially ending the blockade, well that’s a great logistics company. “
Hunt added: “If we are to copy the best in the world, that is what we now have to do.”
Elsewhere, Downing Street said it was “wrong” that Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested that the government is not being more direct about an exit strategy because Boris Johnson is absent.
Dominic Raab, deputy Prime Minister, spoke to Johnson on Thursday, confirmed number 10.
The Prime Minister is said to be “continuing his recovery at Checkers” and “not doing government work.”
[ad_2]
