Coronavirus: new record of infection in the UK, affected by the omicron variant

Published 12/12/2021 5:52 PMReading time: 2 minutes

theThe UK, in the face of a meteoric spread of the omicron variant, recorded more than 122,000 additional Covid-19 cases on Friday, a new record since the start of the pandemic.

The country, one of the worst-hit by the pandemic in Europe, recorded 137 additional deaths in 24 hours – bringing a total of 147,857 – but also 1,171 hospitalizations, marking an acceleration while this data, which was monitored for Closely, it hasn’t changed a bit. hour.

Every country in the UK is responsible for health matters. So far, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have announced stricter restrictions set to take effect after Christmas.

Johnson delays

For England, Boris Johnson’s government is stalling, relying in particular on studies showing a lower risk of hospitalization with the Omicron variable compared to the delta that prevailed until recently.

However, authorities fear that although the risk of infection has fallen sharply, the number of cases is so high that it is placing insurmountable pressures on the hospital system.

Britain’s Health Security Agency Director Jenny Harris welcomed the studies as a “beacon of hope for Christmas”, and made it clear that authorities were monitoring the impact of the pandemic on hospitals but also on society for their own decisions as a whole and in particular. on the workforce.

In London, one in 20 people had contracted Covid-19 a week ago, according to estimates. Many sectors are now being hit hard, resulting in business closings and relocation cancellations.