The UK Eases Covid Restrictions
The Department of Health and Social Care has announced that the number of people infected with the coronavirus in the country, as well as the number of deaths from the pandemic, is declining following the vaccination programme and quarantine. The death toll for Covid-19 in the UK has risen to more than 130,000, according to official figures. The UK government declares only those who die within 28 days of contracting the virus to be Covid-related.
A few days ago, the UK Office for National Statistics announced that more than 144,000 death certificates have been issued since the beginning of the pandemic in which the cause of death has been registered as Covid infection .
Nearly 30m people in the UK have reportedly been vaccinated against coronavirus so far, with around 1.2 million receiving a second dose of the vaccine. Following the rise in vaccinations and a drop in the number of patients, the government is gradually reducing Covid restrictions.
Officials Warn of Surge in Covid Infections in the UK
The UK Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, warned that there would be a real danger to society if Covid restrictions were lifted suddenly and that a new peak could take place. With a population of about 67 million, the UK has the fifth highest number of Corona casualties in the world.
As the UK prepares to gradually reduce coronavirus restrictions, domestic travel bans have been lifted in Wales. With the vaccine rolling out rapidly across Britain and infection numbers falling, Johnson said England could proceed to Stage 2 of his roadmap out of lockdown from 12 April .
Johnson also confirmed that the government was looking at a Covid-19 status certification system, or vaccine passport, to help reopen larger events and travel.
EU-UK Division
The EU and many other parts of the world, meanwhile, are worried about a third wave of Covid and vaccine shortages. Poland, for example, has imposed more restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. The closure of barbershops, home appliance chain stores and furniture stores have been added to the new restrictions that began last week. Previously, unnecessary businesses such as cultural and sports centres and hotels were closed for three weeks. The number of religious centres that were allowed to open to worshipers for Easter has decreased.
Following the recent Covid outbreak in Europe and the rise in cases, many European countries have imposed new travel restrictions. Germany, France, Italy, Finland and Switzerland are among these countries. But a day after strict restrictions were announced in Germany to prevent further spread of the virus, Chancellor Angela Merkel lifted the new restrictions.
After emergency meetings with regional leaders, Merkel said it would not be possible to impose the restrictions announced on the eve of the Easter holidays. The vaccination process in the EU lags behind the UK. One of the reasons for this slowness is that the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been adequately available in these countries, and this has become a major long-running political dispute between the UK and the EU.
Increased Criticism of Boris Johnson Due to Reduced Covid Restrictions
The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under fire for encouraging people to return to work amid the escalating pandemic. While no final decisions have yet been made on how to continue the Covid guidelines for returning employees to work, Boris Johnson has suggested returning to work and ending leave. The UK Labour Party interpreted Johnson’s remarks as irresponsible and in conflict with the government’s roadmap for curbing Covid, following warnings from health officials about controlling the pandemic.
The prime minister recently promised a permanent end to Covid restrictions. Boris Johnson has vowed to end the special restrictions to mark the first anniversary of the pandemic. Johnson himself has previously warned of a third wave of coronavirus, which is now affecting some European countries, saying the new strain could affect Britain again.
The British National Health Service is on the Verge of Collapse and Unable to Perform its Duties
While millions of Britons are waiting for medical services and surgeries in hospitals due to Covid restrictions, British hospitals have warned they will have to cut off some services to patients if funding is not provided. Nearly 4.7 million Britons are on the waiting list of the National Health Service for treatment, the highest number since 2007.
More than 300,000 patients have been waiting a year or more for hospitalisation and surgery. The National Health Service says it needs another £7 billion to cover the cost of day care in the country, and if that does not work out, the UK’s healthcare system will have no choice but to delay surgery as much as possible.
According to the NHS, the more the UK government delays funding, the more patients will have to endure a pain that can be prevented and may possibly cause the death of those who are not getting treatment. According to some practitioners in the National Health Service, although efforts are made to prioritise delays that do not pose a threat to patients’ lives, this can ultimately be life-threatening in cases such as delays in cancer diagnosis.
Boris Johnson intends to end the restrictions imposed due to the outbreak of coronavirus in the UK as soon as possible. Due to the economic shock caused by the UK withdrawal from the EU, simultaneously with the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, the Johnson government was forced to reopen businesses to reduce some of the economic pressures imposed on the government; but Boris Johnson is unaware that reducing restrictions despite existing dangers could paralyse the medical staff and system who may no longer be able to respond to Covid patients, leading to a rise of cases in the UK.
