The health secretary has confirmed that England will move to the fourth and final stage of the government's roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions in a week's time. Calling it a “major milestone” Sajid Javid said that the move to step four on 19 July will see social distancing rules and limits on social contact removed across the country. However, he did caution there could be as many as 100,000 Covid cases a day later this summer.
It is important to note that summer holidays for school start in a week’s time, so children will still be shielded from sudden exposure after the unlock, yet one must remember that it’s the youth that could be the most vulnerable and the biggest career of the virus.
Meanwhile, Mr Javid said, on the evidence before him, he did not "believe that infection rates will put unsustainable pressure on the NHS".
‘Absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution’
Cementing that England reopens on 19 July, at a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson did not forget to mention that s it was "absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution". This left a lot of Britons baffled.
"I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough: this pandemic is not over, This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. We cannot simply revert instantly, from Monday 19 July to life as it was before Covid,” the prime minister said.
And he did not rule out introducing restrictions again, saying: "If we are seeing very exceptional circumstances, the arrival of a new variant that we haven't bargained for, budgeted for, that really is causing us a real problem, then obviously we must rule nothing out."
News is that NHS staff could be made exempt from self-isolation rules when restrictions lift on 19 July Those who are fully vaccinated will be able to forgo self-isolation from 16 August - but this could be brought forward for NHS staff to help tackle a backlog in non-Covid cases.
BMA: Pressing ahead with lifting final restrictions ‘irresponsible and perilous’
Responding to the Government’s announcement that the lifting of all remaining Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted in England on July 19th, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said:
“It’s irresponsible – and frankly perilous - that the Government has decided to press ahead with plans to lift the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19. In doing so, the Government is reneging on its own promise to be led by data and impact on the NHS.
“Scrapping the remaining restrictions next week – when a significant proportion of the population will not have been fully vaccinated – will give this deadly virus an opportunity to retighten its grip; pushing infection rates up, increasing hospitalisations and people ill with long-Covid, risking new vaccine-resistant variants developing, and putting more lives at unnecessary risk.
“While the Government has said it will continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings after the 19th, within the same breath ministers confirm that masks will not be mandatory. This is contradictory and shows the Government absolving itself of responsibility while heaping pressure on the public, confused by mixed messaging of the highest order.
Dr Nagpaul mentioned that a BMA survey found that 90% of doctors think face coverings should remain compulsory on public transport, with another 75% supporting mandatory social distancing on public transport too.
He further said, “The BMA has repeatedly warned of the rapidly rising infection rate and the crippling impact that Covid-related hospitalisations continue to have on the NHS, not only pushing staff to the brink of collapse but also driving up already lengthy waiting times for elective care. We already know hospitals are struggling – with at least one already cancelling cancer treatments – so how will they cope with the 1,000 to 2,000 Covid hospital admissions the Government’s own modelling projects as a result of today’s changes?
“This is all before we consider the significant number of people at risk of, or already living with, long-Covid – and the long-term impact this will have on individuals, the health service, education and the economy.
“The Prime Minister repeatedly emphasised this evening the importance of a slow and cautious approach, but in reality, the Government is throwing caution to the wind by scrapping all regulations in one fell swoop – with potentially devastating consequences.”
Doctor shortage will take 25 years to fill, warns BMA
According to British Medical Association, the NHS does not have enough doctors and will take 25 years to match average staff levels in Europe. Doctors are “working too hard”, becoming burnt out and “terrified of making mistakes, missing things, accidentally harming our patients or losing our livelihoods”, the report said. Almost 50,000 extra doctors are needed to meet England’s health needs, the BMA said. The BMA said that on present trends it would take until 2046 for the NHS to have the same number of practising and trainee doctors.
Asian and Black ethnic groups continue to have increased hospital admissions & death
Dr Rageshwari Dhairyawan, Sexual Health and HIV Consultant, Barts Health, NHS, shared a paper with an analysis of the outcomes of patients admitted with Covid-19 NHS Barts Health in the 2nd wave, by ethnicity. found significant ethnic disparities.
4855 patients with documented ethnicity for our analysis. After adjusting for age, sex, diabetes, CKD, hypertension, smoking, obesity & deprivation, Asian patients were at a significantly higher risk of death within 30 days compared to White patients (HR 1.47 [1.24-1.73]). Compared to the 1st wave, in the 2nd wave: More patients were admitted (5533 vs 1996). A larger proportion of admissions were in Asian patients (35.7% vs. 27.0%).
To conclude, despite improvement in overall outcomes, better treatments, and access to care, Asian and Black ethnic groups continue to have increased hospital admissions & death in hospitals associated with Covid-19. This is likely to be due to increased exposure to Covid-19
Britain's third Covid wave may have peaked
Professor Tim Spector, who runs Britain's largest Covid symptom tracking study, said new cases peaked at around 33,000 per day on July 6. As of July 12th, Britain recorded 34,471 Covid cases as infections rise by 26% in a week but deaths fell slightly to just six. Department of Health data showed the daily infection tally had risen, despite signs outbreak may be slowing. Up to 40% of 'Covid hospital patients' infected with Delta variant may have been admitted for a different illness, official figures suggested as of July 9. Non-Covid respiratory illnesses are on the rise in the UK. Increase in cases of bronchitis and common colds attributed to people mixing after easing of lockdown Researchers at Imperial College London identified so-called “autoantibodies” in long Covid patients that were absent in people who recovered quickly from the virus, or who had not tested positive for the disease.
