COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom has been occurring since late January 2020 as a regional sub-happening of the global outbreak of the respiratory disease COVID-19 and is due to infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus of the coronavirus family, which emerged in late 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading from the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, Hubei Province since December 2019. As of March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a pandemic.

On 12 March 2020, the hazard level in the United Kingdom (UK) was adjusted to the high level.

The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced on 14 April 2020 that the National Health Service (NHS) only adds up deaths reported in hospitals, not in communities as a whole. Deaths in care homes and nursing homes were ignored in this way. It was only at the end of April that they were included in the statistics. In addition, according to ONS, 6235 people died in England and Wales in the year to 3 April 2020 with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 on their death certificate. Looking at this data, it said the number of deaths was 15 per cent higher than published by the NHS. The excess deaths from mid-March to 22 May 2020 were nearly 62,000 people. 48,000 of those are attributed to coronavirus.

In September 2020, the number of new daily infections rose sharply. On 22 September 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced restrictions on everyday life. Millions of people in the north of England were again required to take relatively strict precautions after new infection rates in numerous cities rose to as many as 200 cases per 100,000 population. The Johnson government cut short-time benefits in the face of high national debt. A drastic increase in unemployment was widely feared.

In the last seven days of 2020, over 300,000 new infections (an average of 43,342 per day) were recorded and 3497 COVID deaths. A major vaccination campaign began in early December - a few weeks earlier than in the EU. On January 4, 2021, Prime Minister Johnson announced a third lockdown.

By the middle of May, 2021, the number of newly infected persons fell sharply. From 13 April to 25 May, it was consistently below 3,000 per day; by 3 June, it was 5,274, and by 4 June, 6,238. The causes of the increase are thought to be loosening and the increasing prevalence of the delta variant (B.1.617.2) of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. On 10 June, Health Minister Hancock announced that 91 per cent of new corona infections are already caused by the delta variant.

Status

Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief adviser, said in mid-March 2020 that the UK would reach the peak of the epidemic in May to June. There was now no way to prevent almost everyone from contracting COVID-19. Although most cases of the disease were relatively mild, there was no way to prevent some of them from being severe and even fatal, he said. Boris Johnson stated in mid-March 2020, "This is no ordinary flu here, this is the worst health crisis we've seen in this generation." Strict exit restrictions have been in place since 23 March 2020.

Of particular concern in the UK is the state-run NHS health system, which is seen as chronically overstretched and ailing. Rosena Allin-Khan, an emergency medicine physician and Labour MP, reported that there is not enough protective clothing for doctors. A survey of doctors published on 7 April 2020 reported that half of GPs surveyed did not feel protected at all due to the lack of equipment. The remainder reported only partial availability of protective equipment. One-third of hospital-based physicians responded that they did not feel protected at all. About half felt partially protected. About half of the hospitalists performing aerosol-forming procedures reported a lack of FFP-3 masks.

In mid-April, it became clear that stocks of long-sleeved, liquid-repellent disposable gowns, recommended for doctors and nurses to protect against coronavirus, had run out and would be depleted in intensive care units. Medical staff were told by authorities that the use of other gowns and aprons was now permitted. Trade unions warned of an increased risk of infection for hospital staff.

Rules for home quarantine were laid down in a government action order: Those with symptoms must remain quarantined at home for seven days and continue to stay at home if fever persists, but those living in a household with others must remain at home for at least 14 days, starting from the day the first household member showed symptoms, if they have symptoms. Those who remain at home with symptoms are not required to undergo COVID-19 testing.

Measures

Among other things, the UK government decided to take the following measures:

• People with symptoms (fever and cough) were recommended voluntary isolation for 7 days.
• British companies have been asked to produce more equipment and medical supplies for intensive care units to help the NHS cope with rising numbers of sick people.
• Elderly people have been advised to avoid cruises and go into self-isolation, especially if they have pre-existing conditions.
• On March 23, 2020, the government imposed curfew restrictions, stipulating that citizens could only leave their homes for important errands and sports. Shared outdoor sports were restricted to members of the same household. Gatherings in public spaces of more than two people were banned. On April 16, 2020, it was announced that curfew restrictions were extended for three weeks.
• The lockdown was further extended in mid-April 2020.
• On May 31, 2020, the government announced further changes. As of June 1, 2020, car dealerships will be allowed to open and outdoor markets will be allowed; outdoor gatherings of up to six people will be allowed, with six feet (about two meters) of separation. At the same time, the new rules are more restrictive on indoor gatherings: indoors, any gathering of two or more people "to interact with each other in any form of social interaction or to engage in any other activity with each other" will be banned. Media spoke of a sex ban, as the new rule extends to any contact with people outside the home. Prior to June 1, 2020, someone visiting others in their household was in violation of the lockdown, but the host was not. While the law lists some exceptions to the ban, it does not cover contact with a domestic partner living outside of one's household. More service providers and businesses will be allowed to open starting June 15, 2020.
• For the city of Leicester, a restriction of public life was decided by the British government at the end of June, as the infection figures there had risen in contrast to most other parts of the Kingdom. As a result, Leicester is to keep only systemically important establishments open for at least two weeks from July 1, 2020. Schools would also close in the first few days of July.

Soap in short supply, London, 12 March 2020