Face masks are being reimposed at some hospitals in the UK, with a leading medic issuing a staunch warning over the reintroduction of Covid restrictions.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust said that patients and visitors will be required to wear face coverings in certain areas due to an increase in community illnesses.
The trust said that they have seen a rise in COVID-19, flu and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), so unless medically exempt, masks will be required.
The measure will come into place on December 13 and apply in emergency departments, urgent treatment centres and admission areas.
Face masks are being reimposed at some hospitals in the UK
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However, Professor Karol Sikora, who has been described as a leading world authority on cancer, said the reintroduction of masks should not become “the default option” going forward.
Reacting to the news online, he said: “So it begins…
“Restrictions introduced during COVID must not become the default option to counter seasonal illnesses which we have dealt with every single winter during my fifty years in medicine,” the former World Health Organisation cancer chief said.
Earlier this year, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is no longer sure about “medieval” lockdowns and is becoming increasingly convinced that Covid was a “botched experiment” from a Chinese lab.
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The measure will come into place on December 13
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Johnson, 60, described pandemic restrictions as “literally medieval in their savagery and consequences” as he likened himself to King Canute and questioned whether it was possible for Whitehall to “repel the waves of a highly contagious disease”.
Writing in his explosive tell-all memoir ‘Unleashed’, the former Prime Minister appeared to demonstrate a significant change of thinking compared to the time he was leading the UK’s response to the pandemic.
Flu hospital admissions have surged by a staggering 70 per cent in the last week, with NHS bosses have issued an urgent warning that a “tidal wave” of cases is currently hitting the country.
The dramatic increase has prompted health officials to make an appeal for eligible individuals to get vaccinated before the festive season begins.
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust said that patients and visitors will be required to wear face coverings
PA
Daily flu hospital admissions reached an average of 1,861 patients last week, marking a sharp increase from 1,099 the previous week.
These concerning figures represent a level 3.5 times higher than the same period last year.
RSV cases are also mounting, with 152 children hospitalised daily – marking an increase of over two-fifths compared to the same period last year when 107 children were affected.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted ongoing NHS improvements. He said: “Since the general election, we have been ramping up to delivering the extra two million appointments a year, ending the strikes, and investing more in the health service.”
