Coronavirus: NHS warns UK PM further Christmas relaxations could trigger 'third wave'

UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recently warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson that a further relaxation of restrictions over holiday season could trigger a “third wave” of coronavirus infections. According to SkyNews, NHS Providers told the UK PM to exercise “extreme caution” when making the decision to move any areas into a lower COVID-19 tier. They suggested Johnson move areas, which need to be moved, into Tier 3 as soon as possible, “without any delay”. 

The NHS warning comes ahead of a UK-wide relaxation of social distancing rules for Christmas. The new rules would allow up to three households to get together in homes and places of worship between 23-27 December. While the NHS did not call for the relaxation to be scrapped, they, however, asked the PM to set out the risks of increased contact over Christmas. 

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While speaking to the media outlet, the NHS Providers CEO Chris Hopson said that health workers are worried that due to a surge in coronavirus patients and a rise in infection rates, hospitals could face a difficult period. Hopson warned that any extra social contact equals virus spread. He further acknowledged UK’s progress, however, added that the progress as a whole is at the “lowest end of expectations”. 

The UK government previously had said that the ministers will “not hesitate” to take actions where needed. A government spokesperson said that decisions will be made based on the latest available data. The spokesperson also added that the officials have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress gained during national restrictions, reducing pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives. They further added that apart from the NHS investment, the government is also providing an extra £3 billion to maintain independent sector and Nightingale hospital surge capacity and a further £450 million to upgrade and expand A&Es. 

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UK’s COVID vaccine drive 

Meanwhile, the British regulators approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on December 2, making way for the first vaccination drive in the West. The UK has set-up over 50 vaccination centres across the country and has also issued guidance for health practitioners about the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme. High-risk groups including doctors and other frontline workers have been prioritised for the vaccination drive that is being run by the NHS. 

People with underlying health conditions, children, and pregnant women have been left out of the vaccination drive in the United Kingdom due to no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines on these groups. The government has reportedly received 8,00,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine, which should be enough for 4,00,000 people given the two-dose process recommended by the firm. As per reports, the UK is expected to receive additional doses of the vaccine by the end of this year. 

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