UK hospitals struggle, tougher rules eyed to fight variant as coronavirus surpasses first peak
British officials are considering tougher coronavirus restrictions as the number of hospitalised COVID-19 patients surpasses the first peak of the outbreak in the spring.
Authorities are blaming a new, more transmissible variant of the virus, first identified in southeast England, for the soaring infection rates. An area home to almost half of the people in England is under tight restrictions on movement and everyday life in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. Nonessential shops are shut along with gyms and swimming pools, indoor socialising is barred and restaurants and pubs can only offer takeout.
BBC News
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image captionQueen s Hospital in Romford, Essex, said some Covid patients are being cared for in ambulances outside the hospital as London s NHS faces significant pressure
A surge in coronavirus cases in the UK is of extreme concern , a health boss says, as a record number of cases was reported for the second day running.
On Tuesday, 53,135 new Covid cases were recorded as well as 414 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
Not all data was reported in full over the Christmas period, leading to a lag in some data, but Public Health England said there had been a real increase .
Dec 29, 2020
Ambulances line up today outside the Royal London Hospital in London. England Health Service figures show hospitals now have more COVID-19 patients than during April s first-wave peak, with fears of increased figures because of a Christmas social spread still to come. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) British officials are considering tougher coronavirus restrictions as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients surpasses the first peak of the outbreak in the spring.
Authorities are blaming a new, more transmissible variant of the virus, first identified in southeast England, for the soaring infection rates. An area home to almost half of the people in England is under tight restrictions on movement and everyday life in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. Nonessential shops are shut along with gyms and swimming pools, indoor socializing is barred and restaurants and pubs can only offer takeout.
Updated:
December 30, 2020 01:28 IST
Authorities are blaming a new, more transmissible variant of the virus, first identified in southeast England, for the soaring infection rates.
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Officials and medics hope U.K. regulators will soon authorize a second coronavirus vaccine for use in Britain. | Photo Credit:
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Authorities are blaming a new, more transmissible variant of the virus, first identified in southeast England, for the soaring infection rates.
British officials are considering tougher coronavirus restrictions as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients surpasses the first peak of the outbreak in the spring.
Authorities are blaming a new, more transmissible variant of the virus, first identified in southeast England, for the soaring infection rates. An area home to almost half of the people in England is under tight restrictions on movement and everyday life in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. Nonessential shops are shut along with