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The mayor of London declared the capital’s Covid-19 situation critical on Friday (Saturday NZT), reflecting deteriorating conditions in besieged hospitals, as the country recorded its highest daily death toll in the pandemic.
The sad news that another 1,325 people had died in the 28 days after a positive test came hours after the UK regulator authorized a third vaccine for emergency use.
The figure brings Britain’s official death toll from the coronavirus to 79,833, the highest in Europe. Not all the deaths announced by the government on Friday (Saturday NZT) occurred on the same day.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” as the rapid spread of the virus pushed hospitals to the brink, with a 27% increase in the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the week to 6 January.
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One in 30 people in the British capital was infected with the virus in the week ending January 2, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Other emergency services are also under pressure, with hundreds of firefighters now driving ambulances, for example.
“Our heroic doctors, nurses and NHS staff are doing an amazing job, but with cases increasing so rapidly, our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed,” Khan said.
“The stark reality is that we will run out of beds for patients in the next two weeks unless the spread of the virus drastically slows down.”
A major incident is defined as one in which there is a risk to life and well-being and is “beyond the scope of normal operations”. It allows coordination between different emergency agencies and will allow London to request help from other areas.
Frank Augstein / AP
One in 30 people in London was infected with the virus in the week ending January 2, says the Office for National Statistics.
Khan, a member of the opposition Labor Party, also wrote to Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for more financial support for Londoners who need to isolate themselves and cannot work, and called for masks to be worn in crowded outdoor spaces. as indoors.
The action comes as more good news about the fight against the virus emerged with the approval of the Moderna vaccine, as the country accelerates a fundamental inoculation program to lift the UK out of the pandemic.
The Health Department said on Friday (Saturday NZT) that the vaccine meets the “strict safety, efficacy and quality standards” of the British drug regulator. Britain has ordered 17 million doses delivered in the spring.
“Vaccines are the key to freeing us all from the clutches of this pandemic, and today’s news is another important step to end the lockdown and return to normal life,” said Trade Secretary Alok Sharma.
So far, Britain has inoculated 1.5 million people with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines. It plans to vaccinate about 15 million people in mid-February.
Authorization comes as the need for such help increases.
NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens said on Thursday that the pressures facing hospitals in London and the south-east of England are so acute that a temporary field hospital will open next week at the ExCel London conference center.
The hospital was one of several built in the spring to help during the pandemic, but it wasn’t heavily used.
“The entire health service in London is mobilizing to do everything it can, but infections, the growth rate in admissions, that’s what the country collectively has to control,” Stevens said.
Dominic Lipinski / AP
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” as the rapid spread of the virus pushed hospitals to the limit.
The NHS, short for National Health Service, announced Friday that its doctors and other medical personnel could soon be vaccinated, reflecting concerns that absences caused by health workers who need to isolate themselves are overloading the system.
Previously, the first vaccines were given priority to the most vulnerable in British society, such as those living in residences.
“For frontline staff who risk their lives every day to keep patients safe, this announcement could not have come soon enough,” said Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, President of the UK Medical Association. .
“Tragically, we have lost too many healthcare workers to Covid in the UK. It is absolutely necessary to protect frontline NHS and healthcare workers as a matter of priority. ”
Charlie Riedel / AP
Britain ordered 17 million doses of the recently approved Modern vaccine, to be delivered in the spring.
The UK is recording virus-related deaths at a level last seen during the worst days at the start of the pandemic. Friday’s death toll surpassed the previous high of 1,224 deaths in April.
According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the UK has the highest number of Covid-related deaths in Europe and the fifth highest number in the world.
