UK health officials prepare for omicron surge at hospitals

LONDON — England’s National Health Service is gathering impermanent structures astatine hospitals astir the state to hole for a imaginable surge of COVID-19 patients arsenic the highly transmissible omicron variant fuels a caller question of infections.

The U.K. reported a grounds 183,037 confirmed caller coronavirus infections connected Wednesday, 32% much than the erstwhile day. While aboriginal information suggests omicron is little apt to origin superior unwellness than earlier variants, nationalist wellness officials deliberation the sheer fig of infections could pb to a leap successful hospitalizations and deaths.

In response, the NHS volition statesman mounting up “surge hubs” this week astatine 8 hospitals astir England, each with the capableness to dainty astir 100 patients. Staff are preparing plans to make arsenic galore arsenic 4,000 “super surge” beds should they beryllium needed, the NHS said Thursday.

“We bash not yet cognize precisely however galore of those who drawback the microorganism volition request infirmary treatment, but fixed the fig of infections we cannot hold to find retired earlier we act, and truthful enactment is opening from contiguous to guarantee these facilities are successful place,” NHS England aesculapian manager Stephen Powis said successful a statement.

The fig of radical successful England hospitalized with COVID-19 accrued to 10,462 connected Wednesday from 7,366 connected Dec. 24, authorities figures show. Wednesday’s fig was the highest since March 1. The fig is inactive good beneath the highest of 34,336 recorded connected Jan. 18.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted implementing caller restrictions connected concern and societal interactions during the vacation season, alternatively emphasizing an expanded vaccine booster programme to power the dispersed of omicron.

Mass vaccination centers astatine sports stadiums and museums person reopened aft probe showed that 2 doses of the vaccine weren’t capable to support against omicron.

Across the U.K., astir 58% of radical ages 12 and implicit has received booster shots, including 325,087 who received a 3rd dose connected Tuesday, according to the latest authorities data.