KazPost

Kazakhstan News
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn

Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn

People must think "really carefully" about the risk of more social contact over Christmas, NHS bosses have warned.

"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas," said Chris Hopson, the head of NHS Providers.

But he pointed out that the US saw "record numbers" of cases and deaths after the Thanksgiving holiday - and said the NHS was worried about January.

The government's Dominic Raab said people needed the five-day relaxation of Covid rules on "an emotional level".

Meanwhile, the chances of the Oxford University vaccine being rolled out by the end of the year are "pretty high", the vaccine's architect Prof Sarah Gilbert has told the BBC.

A further 18,447 cases were recorded across the UK on Sunday, along with another 144 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The number of deaths recorded tends to be lower over the weekend because of reporting delays.
Between 23 and 27 December, coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed across the UK, allowing three households to form a "bubble" and mix indoors and stay overnight.

But NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - has written to the PM urging him to "personally lead a better public debate about the risks inherent in the guidance" - although it stopped short of calling for a review of the rules over Christmas.

"There seems to be a sense at the moment that, 'hey because the government's put these rules down, there's no risk to people having more social contact over Christmas'," Mr Hopson told BBC Breakfast.

"Of course, part of it is about sticking to the rules but any kind of extra social contact over Christmas - particularly with those who are vulnerable to the virus - actually is very risky."

"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas, I really don't, but I think everybody needs to think really, really carefully what are they going to do over Christmas," he said.

"It's not, 'is what we're going to be doing sticking within the rules?' It's 'how much risk are we going to cause to the people we interact with?'"

The rise in infections in the US after the Thanksgiving holiday was also highlighted by NHS Providers.

The NHS is worried about the potential pressure on hospital beds, and its ability to treat all the patients it needs to in December, January and February, Mr Hopson said.

"At the same time you've got rising infections in places like London, Essex, parts of Kent, parts of Lincolnshire," he added.



Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab ruled out any possibility that the government would review the Christmas relaxation of rules.

Speaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge programme on Sunday, he said: "I think people do need that five-day window over Christmas to spend a bit of time with their loved ones and I think at a mental health level, an emotional level, people do need it."

It comes after public health expert Prof Linda Bauld said loosening Covid restrictions over Christmas was "a mistake".

Wales' health minister Vaughan Gething said the rules around Christmas could be changed - but it could affect trust in the government.

'Third wave risk'


NHS Providers also warned that relaxing Covid rules when they are reviewed in England could trigger a third wave of the virus during the busiest time of year for hospitals.

England's three-tier system is due to be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December.

It urged the PM against moving any area to a lower tier and said areas should be moved into tier three - the highest level of restrictions - "as soon as this is needed, without any delay".

Earlier this week, some health experts called for London to be placed in tier three "now" after official figures showed Outer London had a higher infection rate than some areas already in the top tier.



The government said it "will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect local communities".

Decisions on tiers are made by ministers, based on the latest available data and advice from public health experts, a spokesperson added.

"We have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress gained during national restrictions, reduce pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives," they said.

"On top of our record NHS investment, this winter we are providing an extra £3bn to maintain independent sector and Nightingale hospital surge capacity and a further £450m to upgrade and expand A&Es."

Vaccine chances 'high'


Meanwhile, Prof Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher on the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, was upbeat when asked about the possibility of people receiving the Oxford jab by the end of the year.

The vaccine has not yet been approved by the UK's regulator, but a study this week showed it was safe and effective.

"I think the chances are pretty high," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr. "But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that's possible."


How you and your family can celebrate Christmas and minimise the spread of coronavirus


Newsletter

Related Articles

KazPost
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
Corruption in the European Parliament - Business as usual
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
Paris Suburb Grapples with Violence as Curfew Imposed: Saint-Denis Residents Express Dismay and Anger
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
Alef Aeronautics Achieves Historic Milestone with Flight Certification for World's First Flying Car
Google Blocked Access to Canadian News in Response to New Legislation
French Politicians Advocate for Pan-European Regulation on Social Media Influencers
×