LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has reactivated emergency hospitals built at the start of the pandemic and closed primary schools in London on Friday to counter the rapid spread of a much more contagious variant of the coronavirus.
With more than 50,000 new daily cases of COVID-19 for the past four days, the health service said they were preparing for an expected rush of patients and needed more beds.
The announcement comes days after the Royal London Hospital emailed staff saying it was now in ‘disaster medicine mode’ and could not provide high-standard critical care.
With the capital one of the areas worst affected by the new variant, which is up to 70% more contagious, the government has also decided to close all primary schools in London, reversing the decision taken just two days ago .
“Education and well – being for children remains a national priority,” said Education Minister Gavin Williamson. “Increasing further parts of London to remote education is really a last resort and a temporary solution.”
Britain is battling a new wave of viruses that has killed more than 74,000 people and shattered the economy. One of the worst-hit countries in the world recorded 53,285 cases and 613 new deaths in the last 24 hours.
The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticized for frequent reversals during the pandemic, including the delay in closing during the first wave in March and the failure of a system to award school degrees without exams.
The temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals in places like convention centers were one success the army built within days. They were barely used, but remained on standby.
A Sky News report said the intensive care units of three London hospitals were full on New Year’s Eve, forcing patients to move to other hospitals for critical care.
“In anticipation of rising pressure due to the spread of the new variant infection, the NHS region in London has been asked to ensure that the Nightingale is reactivated and ready to admit patients should the need arise,” he said. a spokesman for the National Health Service (NHS) said.
However, the Royal College of Nursing has warned that the country does not have enough nurses to staff the new sites, especially with many who are ill with the virus or forced to isolate.
On schooling, the government said it had to close all primary schools in the capital after a review of the transmission figures. Williamson on Wednesday outlined a plan to delay the reopening of secondary schools, but most pre-elections, also in much of the capital, will open in time for Christmas next week.
The opposition Labor Party said the last-minute turnaround would cause chaos for parents.
Reporting by Kate Holton; Edited by David Goodman