UK hits daily virus record; gov't urged to hold schools closed

With daily coronavirus infections surging consequently of a new virus variant, the British government faced mounting pressure Saturday from teachers' unions to keep schools in England closed for at least another fourteen days.

The government, which oversees schools in England, has already made a decision to keep all schools in London closed in a few days to try to stem latest infections. Unions wish the policy extended across the whole of England, expressing fears about the fitness of both teachers and children.

The UK on Saturday hit a daily record for new coronavirus infections - 57,725 - and appeared set to quickly overtake Italy once more to be the worst-hit country in Europe with practically 75,000 COVID-19 deaths. The fear is that with growing infections, the quantity of deaths will also grow over the coming weeks.

The UK has recorded its five highest daily new infection numbers in the last five times - all above 50,000 and twice the number of only a few weeks ago.

After an emergency interacting with on Saturday, the National Education Union, which symbolizes over 450,000 education workers, called on Primary Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government to move learning online for at least fourteen days. In addition, it told members they possess a legal right not to have to work within an “unsafe environment” of accelerating coronavirus cases, hospital admissions and deaths.

“We happen to be doing our task as a union by informing our members they have a right to won't work in unsafe circumstances which certainly are a danger to their health and to the fitness of their school communities," said Kevin Courtney, the union's joint general secretary.

Another union representing teachers, the NASUWT, also called for an instantaneous nationwide proceed to remote education because of virus safety concerns. Its standard secretary, Patrick Roach, explained there's “real concern” that academic institutions and colleges are not able to reopen safely at the moment.

“The NASUWT won't hesitate to take appropriate action as a way to protect members whose safety is jeopardized consequently of the failure of employers or the government to ensure safe working conditions in schools and colleges,” he said.

The government’s own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned at a Dec 22 meeting that schools had a need to stay closed to lower virus transmission rates.

The UK is struggling with a sharp spike in new cases because of this of a fresh virus variant that officials say could be up to 70% more infectious.

The variant has been particularly prevalent in London and in surrounding areas, prompting Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to row back on plans to allow some primary schools - those for children 11 and under - in the administrative centre to reopen as scheduled on Jan 4.

Most other primary academic institutions in England are still scheduled to open about Monday. High school reopenings have been delayed for an incredible number of students, with exam-season pupils scheduled to come back on Jan. 11 and others a week later.

With many British hospitals at or near capacity, there are growing concerns over the way the already stretched National Health Service will cope with an expected climb in people seeking treatment after getting infected over the holiday season. Field hospitals are receiving outfitted once again to take in patients.

On the inoculations front, Britain commenced vaccinating people over 80 and health care personnel on Dec. 8 with the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. The other day, the government permitted another vaccine created by Oxford University and pharmaceutical huge AstraZeneca that's cheaper and much easier to use.

The UK plans to crank up vaccinations on Monday using 530,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and has set an objective of vaccinating 2 million people a week immediately.

The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath in southern England was among the first to obtain the newly approved vaccine on Saturday.

Dr George Findlay, the trust’s chief medical officer, said the recently approved vaccine is “easier” to administer than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which must be kept at temperatures around minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 Fahrenheit).

Greater than a million people in the UK have previously received their initially jab of the Pfizer vaccine.

In a shift from practices in the U.S., Britain ideas to give people second doses of both vaccines within 12 weeks of their first shot instead of within 21 days, to accelerate immunizations across as many people as fast as possible.