In a joint statement, NHS England’s medical director Stephen Powis and the government’s scientific advisers including Professor Chris Whitty, warned the NHS is “under immense pressure” and is at “material risk” of being overwhelmed.
The warning comes after the seventh consecutive day with more than 50,000 new positive cases of Covid-19 in a 24-hour period across the UK.
The joint statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers said: “Many parts of the health systems in the 4 nations are already under immense pressure.
“There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of Covid-19 patients in hospitals and in intensive care.
“Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant.
“We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days.”
The Covid-19 alert level system involves a scale of one to five, which the Prime Minister advised would reflect the degree of threat to the country from coronavirus.
But what do each of the alert levels mean – and what action will be taken as a result?
Level 5 – This indicates there is a “material risk” of healthcare services being overwhelmed. Social-distancing measures would increase.
Level 4 – This means the COVID-19 epidemic “is in general circulation” and the “transmission is high or rising exponentially”. This is where the current tier restrictions come in to play.
Level 3 – A COVID-19 epidemic is “in general circulation.” There would be a gradual relaxing of some COVID-19 restrictions and social-distancing measures.
Level 2 – COVID-19 is present in the UK, but that the number of cases and transmission is low requiring “no or minimal social-distancing measures”, but with enhanced “testing, tracing, monitoring and screening”.
Level 1 – This indicates COVID-19 is not known to be present in the UK. The guidance suggests the only action required at this stage would be “routine international monitoring”.
