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LONDON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) – Britain is “back in the eye of the storm,” as the number of patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 in England’s hospitals surpassed the peak in April, the chief of the The country’s National Health Service (NHS) said on Tuesday.
“We are now back in the eye of the storm with a second wave of coronavirus hitting Europe and indeed this country,” said Simon Stevens, executive director of the NHS, during a visit to an NHS vaccination center.
“Many of us have lost family, friends, colleagues, and at a time of year when we would normally be celebrating, many people are understandably anxious, frustrated and tired,” he said.
Another 357 have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain to 71,109, according to official figures released Monday.
However, the NHS chief noted a sense of hope as Britain continues to roll out vaccines, which he said could be offered to all vulnerable people across this country in late spring next year.
“That perhaps provides the best hope for next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, Samantha Batt-Rawden, president of the UK Medical Association, said on Twitter that she and her colleagues are “at a breaking point”.
“Today we learn that we have more COVID patients in hospital than ever in England. This is not a drill. Please believe us,” he said.
Another 41,385 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the largest daily increase in coronavirus cases since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, official figures said Monday.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 2,329,730, the data showed.
The British government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has urged all regions of England to place themselves on the highest Level Four restrictions, which require residents of the areas to stay home, with limited exceptions. People are also encouraged to work from home when they can, and should not enter or leave those areas.
London and many other parts of England are already under Level Four restrictions. For those at levels one, two, and three, up to three households were allowed to meet on Christmas day alone, while at level four, people shouldn’t mingle with anyone outside of their own home apart from bubbles of support for.
To bring life back to normal, countries like Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States are racing against time to develop vaccines against the coronavirus. Final product
