LONDON (AP) – The UK’s National Health Service will hire a little-used field hospital built next week to build a huge exhibition center in east London in the early days of the spring pandemic past.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said on Thursday that pressures facing hospitals in London and the south-east of England were so acute that ExCel London’s Nightingale Hospital would open next week in hospitalized patients. There are expected to be a few hundred beds for patients who do not have COVID at first.
“The entire health service in London is mobilizing to do everything it can except infections, the revenue growth rate, which is what the country collectively has to control,” he said.
The hospital, which will also be a vaccination center, was one of several built in the spring to help during the pandemic. They were named Florence Nightingale, widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing. In the case, they were barely used and made into mothballs to potentially use them during other pandemic waves.
Stevens said the health service is in the midst of an “incredibly serious situation”, with more than 50% more patients hospitalized with coronavirus in hospitals across England than the April peak. All of this happens when the NHS is busier due to winter-related illnesses.
The Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced criticism for not closing England before (during the Christmas holiday season) in the face of an increase in infections largely due to a new variant of the virus in the capital and south-east of England. The blockade went into effect Tuesday, more than two weeks after scientists warned that the new variant was potentially 70% more contagious.
In another reinforcement measure, the government announced on Friday that from next week all people arriving from other countries will have to submit evidence of a negative COVID-19 test conducted in the 72 hours prior to departure. . There are exemptions for some, including truckers, the airline crew, and children under 11.
Many public health experts have long urged the UK to take the measure as a way to reduce imported infections, even though the virus is more widespread in Britain than in many other countries.
The government said the measure will help protect against new variants of the virus, such as one recently identified in South Africa.
The UK is recording virus-related deaths as well as some of the worst days of the pandemic. On Thursday, government data showed that 1,162 more people died within 28 days after testing positive for the virus. That’s just a timor of the record high of 1,224 deaths on April 21st.
The total number of UK-related virus deaths is 78,508. According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the UK is once again the most affected country in Europe in terms of COVID-related deaths.
Although the number of new cases fell to 52,618 from the previous day’s record of 62,322, the seven-day average runs about three times as fast as a month ago. Given the delays involved, the UK could face many more days of daily virus-related deaths.
Johnson said the likely number of UK-related virus deaths will be “tragically” high, but will ultimately depend on factors such as the speed of vaccine launches and people’s adherence to closure.
The UK is beyond the path of the vaccine than others, as it has approved two for its use. About 1.5 million people, mostly over the age of 80, have already received a first dose of vaccine. The government plans to provide a first dose to about 13 million people by mid-February, which would account for about 85% of people considered most at risk of dying from COVID-19.
People across the UK were encouraged to “applaud heroes” on Thursday evening. During the first weeks of the pandemic, the weekly “Clap for Carers” was a unifying ritual.
Their return, although rebranded to recognize other key workers as well, such as delivery drivers and postal workers, has had a mixed response. Some NHS workers have asked people to stay home and not venture to applaud.
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