UK Covid cases: The hospitals on BLACK alert as England crosses grim 40,000 case milestone
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Coronavirus cases in the UK appeared to level out following “Freedom Day” earlier this year when the Government lifted a number of Covid restrictions. Britons living in England have since lived their lives relatively measure-free with a sense of normality they haven’t experienced since early 2020. But it has come at a cost, with health professionals warning this restriction-light society has allowed cases to spike, putting hospitals under mounting strain.
The latest case figures show that the country crossed the 40,000 mark today.
The Government’s site has reported a total of 40,701 new infections, the first time it has risen above the level in a month.
The last time officials recorded such a high total was on September 6, when 44,139 people tested positive.
Growth in the wrong direction suggests the UK will continue to see peaks and troughs in the case total without intervention.
And the NHS is starting to feel the heat, with some hospitals moving into crisis mode.
Several recently decided to increase alert levels as they struggled with Covid.
Some are now on “black” alert, signifying the grim direction in which the nation is heading.
The alert, otherwise known as Operational Pressures Escalation Level 4, indicates potential patient safety compromises.
And it declares they are “unable to deliver comprehensive care”, forcing them to cancel some services amid the case onslaught.
The following services have moved to Opel level 4 over the last month:
- Norfolk and Waveney CCG area
- Nottingham University Hospitals Trust – Queen’s Medical Centre site
- Royal Derby Hospital
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital
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Some of these hospitals have had Covid patient loads cause significant A&E backlogs, with 143 patients at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust waiting for emergency attention, 32 requiring beds.
Health professionals have laid blame on the Government for pursuing a soft touch on mitigation.
Rachel Clarke, an Oxford-based palliative care doctor, took to Twitter to comment on the situation.
She wrote the Government’s “vaccine-only” response makes the country a “global outlier”.
Dr Clarke added it is “staggeringly responsible”, commenting that the UK’s Covid rates are far higher than several European neighbours.
She said British hospitalisation rates have risen to three times more than France, six times more than Italy, and 15 times more than Spain.
The physician then directly addressed newly-minted health secretary, Sajid Javid.
She asked him whether he cared amid the “deadly serious” situation.
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