The rapid spread of the Omicron variant and the growing number of cases sickened by nurses began to justify apprehensive predictions about the healthcare system.
In England, the ‘critical situation’ declared when it was under overload started to spread among hospitals.
The country’s “Royal College of Nursing”, which trains nurses and is their voice, sent a letter urging the Minister of Health to take additional measures ‘without further delay’. It was emphasized that the British Health Services NHS could not keep up with the incoming patients under the current conditions, and a more cautious approach was recommended.
The implementation of different measures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which make up the United Kingdom, and the implementation of different measures in England, was described as a ‘confusing’ issue by the nurses union.
In addition, it was questioned how and by whom the patients who did not recover enough to be discharged but did not need to stay in the hospital would be cared for in the out-of-hospital care centers planned by the government.
The number of cases announced as of Tuesday reached 218 thousand 724. The total number of cases in the last week was 1 million 269 thousand 878. In one day, 48 people died in England.
The fact that the number of hospitalized cases is more than 50 percent compared to the previous week is considered as concrete data justifying the rising concern among NHS workers.
While health system administrators shared their concerns in all kinds of media, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that they are currently in a ‘crisis situation’ and that this situation may continue for another four weeks.
Declaring that 6 hospitals in different parts of the country might not be able to provide essential services by declaring a ‘critical situation’ brought along the concern that this situation would spread even more.
In response to all this anxious anticipation of the introduction of new measures, Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to the screen and said, “We will deal with Omicron without quarantine and other restrictions, schools and workplaces will remain open.”
Johnson underlined the titles of wearing masks indoors, and working from home for those who have the opportunity to test before entering crowded entertainment venues, by asking citizens to comply with the current rules.
Boris Johnson praised the public’s interest in the half-dose booster vaccine and urged those who do not to get the booster vaccine as soon as possible. “According to the available data, 90 percent of those currently hospitalized in ICUs are those who do not have a booster vaccine, and 60 percent are those who have never been vaccinated,” Johnson said.
Students in England go back to school tomorrow. All students will be tested before entering the classrooms. Secondary school students will continue the second half by wearing masks. It is anticipated that the test application will be repeated twice a week.