LONDON (AP) – The mayor of London said the capital’s COVID-19 situation was critical on Friday, reflecting worsening conditions for hospitals in the fray as the country authorized a third vaccine for emergency use.
Sadiq Khan said it was a “major incident” as the rapid spread of the virus caused hospitals to reach a peak, with the number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus rising by 27% a week until January 6. One in 30 people in the UK capital was infected with the virus in the week to January 2, according to the Bureau of 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 growing so fast, our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed,” said Khan. “The stark reality is that we will run out of beds for patients in the next few weeks, unless the spread of the virus slows dramatically.”
A major incident is defined as one in which there is a risk to life and well-being and is “beyond the scope of ordinary operations.” It allows coordination between different emergency agencies and will allow London to seek help from other areas.
Khan, a member of the opposition Labor Party, also wrote to Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for more financial support for Londoners who have to isolate themselves and cannot work, and called for wearing masks in crowded outdoor spaces. as inside.
The action comes with more good news about fighting the virus with the approval of the Moderna vaccine, while the country launches an inoculation program essential to get Britain out of the pandemic.
The Department for Health said on Friday that the vaccine met the “strict safety, efficacy and quality standards” of the UK medicines regulator. The United Kingdom has ordered the delivery of 17 million doses set by spring.
“Vaccines are the key to freeing us all from the control of this pandemic, and today’s news is another important step towards ending the blockade and returning to normal life,” said Business Secretary Alok Sharma.
To date, the UK has inoculated 1.5 million people with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccines. It plans to vaccinate about 15 million people by mid-February.
Authorization comes as the need for such assistance increases.
NHS England CEO Simon Stevens said on Thursday that pressure on hospitals in London and south-east England was so acute that a temporary field hospital at London’s ExCel conference center would open next week.
The hospital was one of several built in the spring to help during the pandemic, but it was not heavily used.
“The entire London health service is mobilizing to do everything it can, but infections, the rising rate of hospitalizations, are what the country needs to control collectively,” Stevens said.
The UK is reporting virus-related deaths at a level last seen in the worst days since the pandemic began. On Thursday, government figures showed another 1,162 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus.
The total death toll in the UK is now 78,508. According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the UK has the most COVID-related deaths in Europe and the fifth largest number in the world.
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