Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TIPPING POINT
Experts and doctors: Now is the time to act New anti-viral drugs deal for the vulnerable
we could have had a major peak and the NHS are already experiencing great pressures.
“That is going to get worse as we go into winter.”
The NHS Confederation, which represents health service leaders, is demanding the Conservatives bring back restrictions.
Chief Matthew Taylor said: “It is time for the Government to enact Plan B without delay because without pre-emptive action, we risk stumbling into a winter crisis.”
BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul also hit out at Mr Javid.
He said: “It is incredibly concerning he is not willing to take immediate action to save lives and to protect the NHS.
“It is wilfully negligent of the Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection.”
Morocco yesterday said it is banning flights to and from the UK.
Restrictions-free Britain now has 652 Covid cases per million people as a rolling seven-day average.
The contrast in France is stark where masks are required indoors and in some crowded outdoor spaces.
Jab passports are needed in bars, restaurants and cinemas and the country now has a case rate per million of 71.
In Spain, where masks and social distancing of 1.5 metres is compulsory, this figure is 41.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have tighter rules than England including mandatory masks.
Meanwhile, a student paramedic begged for “help” in a queue of 25 ambulances waiting to get into hospital.
Faye Shepherd, from the South Western Ambulance Service, said: “There’s a palpable sense of concern amongst staff... with few remaining resources.”
The region has recorded its highest-ever
rate of cases and it was also badly affected by laboratory blunder that sent back 43,000 false negative results.
The NHS is under pressure to cut its record 5.7 million waiting list while it treats Covid and flu cases.
The Royal College of GPS said family doctors do not have capacity to carry out the bulk of jabs.
Covid admissions are short of the January peak but are growing.
Numbers of infected patients have crept above 7,000 recently but this compares to 38,000 in January.
On Tuesday, the UK reported 223 Covid deaths, around double the level it had been at in recent weeks. During the January peak daily fatalities reached around 1,500.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief of the UK Health Security Agency, said cases are almost as high as they were in July and close to last winter’s rate.
She added: “Fortunately, that is not currently working through into serious disease and deaths.”
Yesterday there were 869 more Covid patients in hospital and NHS England’s Prof Stephen Powis said he expects a further increase.