Boris Johnson's government accused of being 'willfully negligent' as UK Covid cases mount

Published:Dec 7, 202309:49
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The United Kingdom has registered almost 50,000 new day by day Covid-19 cases twice this week, far outpacing the state of affairs in most of Europe. Its charges of hospitalizations and deaths have additionally didn't considerably decline because the summer season, when the nation lifted nearly all of its remaining restrictions.

But the government has nonetheless dominated out shifting to its "Plan B" method, which might see the introduction of vaccine passports and mandates in keeping with many European international locations.

"The government has taken its foot off the brake, giving the impression that the pandemic is behind us and that life has returned to normal," the British Medical Association (BMA) mentioned in a scathing intervention on Wednesday.

"It is willfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces," it mentioned. "These are measures that are the norm in many other nations."

Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted on Wednesday that cases might attain 100,000 a day this winter, however mentioned the government wouldn't implement its Plan B measures "at this point."

The quantity of sufferers admitted to hospitals within the UK has been steadily growing because the starting of October, although it stays far under the wave of infections final winter that compelled a prolonged nationwide lockdown.

"Thanks to the vaccination program, yes the link between cases and hospitalizations and deaths has significantly weakened. But it's not broken," Javid mentioned at a information convention on Wednesday. "This pandemic is not over," he added.

The UK has more new Covid-19 cases than France, Germany, Italy and Spain combined

But the BMA mentioned the nation is "rapidly approaching a position where, yet again, the Government is delaying for too long, and equivocating over taking action."

"This is the time to learn the lessons of the past and act fast, or else we will face far more extreme measures later," the physique mentioned.

Its warning adopted the same message by the NHS Confederation, which represents suppliers of the nation's National Health Service (NHS). Last month was the busiest September within the historical past of the service, in response to official figures, and there are fears that the winter months will once more push its hospitals in direction of capability.

Almost 140,000 folks have died attributable to Covid-19 within the UK, in response to official figures, the worst demise toll in western Europe and the eighth highest globally.

In July, Prime Minister Johnson controversially ended England's remaining pandemic restrictions. Pubs, bars and huge occasions have been in a position to function as regular there since, with out a vaccination requirement or a requirement that individuals put on masks. But infections have failed to say no markedly since then and now are spiking.

Despite a swift begin to vaccinating its inhabitants, the UK now has the thirteenth highest vaccine charge in Europe and the government has confronted criticism over the velocity of its booster shot program and the supply of vaccines for 12 to 17-year-olds.

CNN's Isa Soares contributed to this report.

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