Friday December 31, 2021
“Position better than last year”
Johnson is optimistic but warns unvaccinated people
The virus variant Omikron is spreading rapidly in Great Britain. With around 190,000 new infections, the country has a new negative record, the authorities fear that the hospitals will be overloaded. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Johnson is confident.
Despite a huge surge in the number of coronavirus infections in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spreads confidence in his New Year’s message. “Our position as of December 31st is incomparably better than last year,” said Johnson’s pre-released video clip. Reason.
This allowed the country to have the greatest economic growth in the G7 group and “to remain the most open economy and society among the major European economies,” Johnson said.
Because of the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, the British government recently reintroduced some corona rules in England. However, unlike the regional governments in other British parts of the country, it primarily relies on personal responsibility. On Thursday, the authorities reported another daily record with almost 190,000 new infections nationwide.
NHS “in combat readiness”
Over the holidays, however, the population’s motivation to vaccinate has obviously suffered. As the umbrella organization of the health service NHS announced, up to 40 percent stayed away from their booked vaccination appointment.
Due to the rapid spread of omicrons, the English health authorities fear that the hospitals will be overloaded and want to provide thousands of additional beds. The NHS had said that the construction of additional structures with space for 100 beds each on the premises of eight hospitals will begin this week. In view of the record number of infections and rising hospitalization rates, the NHS is “in combat readiness,” emphasized its medical director Stephen Powis.
In his video, Johnson called on the unvaccinated in particular to get an injection. “The people who think the disease can’t harm them should look at the ones who have to go to the hospital: it could be you,” said Johnson. “Look at the intensive care units and the miserable, unnecessary suffering of those who didn’t get their booster vaccinations: it could be you.”