[News] Boris Johnson's government accused of being 'willfully negligent' as UK Covid cases mount

[waLID.]

 

London (CNN)Britain's doctors' union has accused Boris Johnson's government of being "willfully negligent" in its handling of the latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, as ministers refuse to introduce mitigation measures despite soaring infection rates and increasing pressure on hospitals. The United Kingdom has registered nearly 50,000 new daily Covid-19 cases twice this week, far outpacing the situation in most of Europe. Its rates of hospitalizations and deaths have also failed to substantially decline since the summer, when the country lifted almost all of its remaining restrictions.

But the government has nonetheless ruled out moving to its "Plan B" approach, which would see the introduction of vaccine passports and mandates in line with many European countries. "The government has taken its foot off the brake, giving the impression that the pandemic is behind us and that life has returned to normal," the British Medical Association (BMA) said in a scathing intervention on Wednesday. "It is willfully negligent of the Westminster Government not to be taking any further action to reduce the spread of infection, such as mandatory mask wearing, physical distancing and ventilation requirements in high-risk settings, particularly indoor crowded spaces," it said. "These are measures that are the norm in many other nations."

Britain's Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted on Wednesday that cases could reach 100,000 a day this winter, but said the government would not implement its Plan B measures "at this point."

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/21/uk/uk-covid-bma-warning-gbr-intl/index.html