Important that people don’t relax about virus, says Hancock
MINISTERS and leading doctors have urged the public to take the Covid-19 virus seriously after fears that the outbreak was slipping out of control in some areas.
Close to 3,000 new cases were recorded last Sunday (6) and again on Monday (7), a sudden jump from numbers much closer to 1,000 for most of August, and the highest since May.
Appearing before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday (8), health secretary Matt Hancock expressed concern about the rise in cases. “It is so important ... people don’t become relaxed about this virus,” he said.
Several media reports said the government was planning to cut the maximum number of people allowed to gather in a house in England. At the moment, groups of up to 30 people from two households are allowed to socialise indoors.
Some 41,554 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 in Britain, the worst fatalities toll in Europe. However, in recent weeks infection numbers had been lower than in several of the UK’s European neighbours.
The Public Health England (PHE) Covid-19 surveillance report found in regions with the most cases and with most local authorities on the watch-list, the highest rates were observed in Asian communities of either Indian or Pakistani origin. The analysis also found the age groups most affected appeared to be young working age adults (20-29 years).
New figures revealed Kensington and Chelsea recorded the highest coronavirus infection rate of any London borough, with a rate of 24.3 per 100,000 cases and 38 new cases confirmed. Hammersmith and Fulham, in west London, recorded the second-highest infection rate with 37 new cases of Covid-19.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam warned of a “creeping geographic trend” as higher infection rates were being seen in many parts. “That is really a signal that we’ve got to change this now, got to start taking it seriously again,” he said.
The honorary vice-president of the British Medical Association (BMA), Dr Kailash Chand, said many people believed the pandemic was over.
“This pandemic is a very serious disease,” he said. “We have to really take precautions, and the government have got to learn their lesson and (understand) why we are in this state.”
Dr Chand added: “We know (the UK) has one of the highest death rates and why? Because we were not prepared for it and we ignored any warnings. We have one of the best healthcare systems in the world and perhaps, the best scientific community. Despite this, we did not heed any warnings and that is why we are where we are.”
There is also concern about the long-term effects of Covid-19, and the threat of new cases coming from abroad.
A King’s College London survey, published on Tuesday, found there were 300,000 people reporting symptoms lasting more than one month, and 60,000 had been ill for more than three months. “This is not over,” Hancock said.