Britain: Over 200,000 cases a day – Johnson rules out lockdown

For the first time, the United Kingdom today recorded more than 200,000 new cases of Covid-19, a negative record as pressure mounts on hospitals.

According to government figures, 218,724 positive tests were recorded in a 24-hour period, while 48 people died. In total, since the beginning of the pandemic, the death toll has risen to 148,941.

More than 14,000 patients are currently being treated with Covid-19. Hospitals, however, remain fewer than last winter, and the number of patients in need of intubation is growing slowly.

The eruption of cases due to the Omicron variant is currently translated into absences from work, a fact that causes malfunction in many areas and especially in that of health. At least six hospital centers said today that their condition was critical, meaning that patients’ care could be affected.

In the midst of this situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated today that the implementation of the “Plan B” measures for England should continue. “As (the National Health System) is on the brink of war, I will recommend to the cabinet tomorrow to continue with Plan B,” he told a news conference today.

Plan B mainly concerns compulsory teleworking, the use of a mask in public places and the demonstration of the Covid certificate for entering certain places.

Johnson argued that Britain could overcome the Omicron wave without re-applying the lockdown, but added that the coming weeks would be difficult. “We have an opportunity to overcome this wave without closing the country,” he said. “But the coming weeks will be difficult, both here in the UK and around the world.”

For his part, England chief Chris Whitty noted that mortality in Britain does not appear to have risen due to Omicron. “One thing we saw, which is obviously very good news compared to where we were in the previous waves, is that mortality does not seem to have increased,” he said.

Asked if further restrictive measures would be imposed, the British prime minister said it might not be needed, but that it would depend on when the Omicron wave peaks and how big it is. He argued that England is in a better position than other European countries, thanks to booster vaccinations.

“I think it will depend on whether the virus behaves in the same way as in South Africa, when and how quickly it peaks,” he said.

The government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Valance, has argued that it is “unsustainable” to give booster doses of the vaccine every 3 to 6 months in the long term, although a boost is currently needed to treat Omicron.

“It would be a situation that would not make sense to say that everyone would need to get another vaccine every three to six months,” Valance said, adding that it may be necessary to get Covid-19 vaccines every year, such as is made with the flu.

“We needed the booster dose for the variant right now. I think over time there will be a change and we will move on to a more classic type of vaccination program,” he added.

Source: AMPE