As the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the United Kingdom, tens of thousands of volunteers are needed to provide services at vaccine centers in a new effort to get people vaccinated.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for thousands of volunteers to sign up to help at vaccination centers across the country. These centers are stationed in multiple places, including shopping centers, racecourses, and stadiums. Long lines have been forming around such centers ever since the first case of COVID-19's Omicron variant emerged.
"Omicron is a grave threat," U.K.'s Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers, saying the strain was already estimated to be infecting 200,000 people a day in the U.K. "Scientists have never seen a COVID-19 variant that is capable of spreading so rapidly."
Johnson said in a press release that "Many thousands have already given their time, but we need you to come forward again, to work alongside our brilliant GPs, doctors, nurses and pharmacists, to deliver jabs and save lives."
This announcement comes as over 59,000 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the U.K. The total number of 59,610 confirmed cases that were reported on Tuesday is the highest number of cases reported in one day since January 9, 2021. The country also recorded 150 more deaths attributed to the virus. An average of 811 people per day have been hospitalized with COVID-19 over the past week, with around 7,400 patients currently in U.K. hospitals.
In total on Monday, 513,722 boosters were given and 49,078 first doses were given.
Monday was the second-highest day for COVID-19 booster bookings in England, with more than 650,000 appointments scheduled, the NHS said.
"This is a new national mission," Javid said. "A race between the virus and the vaccine to get as many people protected as possible."
The Omicron variant is spreading so rapidly it has the potential to overwhelm Britain's hospitals, highlighting the need to strengthen coronavirus restrictions and speed up the delivery of booster vaccine shots, the country's health minister said Tuesday.
Omicron is so transmissible that even if it proves to be less severe than other variants, there is still likely to be a surge in hospital admissions if it goes unchecked, U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers.
His comments came as the government rushed to accelerate the national vaccination program, with a goal of offering a booster dose to every adult by the end of December. Lawmakers also voted Tuesday to approve tougher rules on mask-wearing in most indoor public places and mandatory COVID passes for nightclubs to slow the variant until more vaccinations can be delivered.
"This is a new national mission," Javid said. "A race between the virus and the vaccine to get as many people protected as possible."
In another effort to speed up the booster program, U.K. health officials temporarily suspended the 15-minute observation period normally required for anyone receiving a Pfizer or Moderna shot. Doctors had complained that the waiting period—designed to spot allergic reactions before patients left clinics—usually wasn't necessary and resulted in healthy patients taking up valuable space at crowded vaccination centers.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said logistical issues in expanding the vaccination program would diminish over the next week.
"It does take a few days just to make sure we get to a steady state," he told the BBC. "We'll keep straining every sinew to make sure we can reach that target."
In an address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged everyone eligible to get a booster shot to "reinforce our wall of vaccine protection" against an anticipated "tidal wave of Omicron." Everyone 18 and up will be offered a third dose by December 31—a month earlier than the previous target, Johnson said.
U.K. authorities have said the number of Omicron infections is doubling every two to three days and the variant is likely to become the dominant form of COVID-19 throughout the country in days.
Javid said the rapid spread of Omicron in Britain meant it no longer made sense to try to stop the importation of cases from abroad. As a result, the government lifted a ban on visitors from 11 African countries and a requirement that U.K. residents returning from those countries quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.
Javid said all the countries on the "red list" would be removed at 0400 GMT on Wednesday.
Scientists in South Africa, where the Omicron outbreak is more advanced, say the variant may cause less severe disease than the delta variant, although they caution that it's too soon to be certain. Health authorities around the world are watching Britain closely to see what an Omicron surge looks like in a country with an older, more highly vaccinated population than South Africa.
Throughout the pandemic, the British government's primary goal has been to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. This is particularly important during the winter, when U.K. hospitals are often stretched by a surge in flu cases and other illnesses related to cold weather.
Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, told government ministers it was too soon to know the severity of illness that Omicron will produce but that "we can expect a significant increase in hospitalizations," according to a summary of his comments released by the government.
"The lag between infections and hospitalizations is around two weeks," Javid said. "With infections rising so quickly, we're likely to see a substantial rise in hospitalizations before any measures start to have an impact. So there really is no time to lose."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
