Coronavirus in UK: 55,000 new positives in 24 hours and Boris Johnson anticipates more restrictions

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday that tighter containment restrictions would likely be implemented as the country battles a new variant of the coronavirus that has taken the infection rate to its highest level yet .

The United Kingdom recorded 54,990 new infections in the past 24 hours, slightly below the 57,725 cases the day before, a historic high, according to a new report released on Sunday by the British government.

British authorities have also confirmed 454 deaths, nine more than the previous balance, for which a total of 2,654,779 infections and 75,024 deaths have been recorded since the declaration of the pandemic.

The government has yet to update data on new hospital admissions: 2,434 people were only admitted on Saturday, for a total of 23,823 patients in critical beds, of whom 1,847 are in need of treatment. ” assisted ventilation.

Education

Teacher unions have called on schools to return to distance learning for at least two weeks because of the new variant. Scientists have noted that it is up to 70% more infectious than the previous one. However, Johnson urged parents to send their children back to classrooms in areas of England where they can do so. “I have no doubt” that the schools are safe, he insisted.

The UK is going through an acute epidemic, with 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day in the past five days. On Saturday, the country hit a daily record with 57,725 new cases. Britain, with nearly 75,000 virus-related deaths, rivals Italy as the worst-hit European nation, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

London and the south-east of England are seeing extremely high levels of new infections and there is speculation that restrictions to control the virus should be tightened. In parts of and around the British capital there are around 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.

“We are fully convinced that we must do whatever it takes to control the virus, which may involve stricter measures in the coming weeks,” Johnson said in an interview with the BBC. “Obviously, a number of more stringent measures are in place that should be considered.”

Given this situation, Johnson assured that he is not ruling out any options and that he could keep schools closed until May, if necessary.

“We are fighting against a new tension which is being felt particularly in London and in the south-east of the country, and that is why we have to take exceptional measures in some areas,” he said.

The Johnson administration implements a classification restriction system. Most of England is already below the more stringent level – classification 4 – which includes the closure of shops selling non-essential items and places such as gyms and leisure centers, in addition to instructions for staying at the House.

“What we are implementing now is the classification system, which is a very strict system and, unfortunately, about to get more difficult to keep things under control,” he said. to tens of millions of people, literally giving people life and hope, ” he concluded.