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Coronavirus rules are ‘tough enough’, says Priti Patel
London Councils and Mayor Sadiq Khan have implored Boris Johnson to immediately implement tougher coronavirus measures – including closing places of worship – or risk putting an “unsustainable strain” on the NHS and public services.
After a major incident was declared in the capital last Friday due to rising Covid-19 cases, Mr Khan and London Councils chair Georgia Gould have written to the prime minister, calling for measures similar to those in place last March and April.
Aside from the closure of places of worship, they have called for the prime minister to make mask-wearing mandatory outside the home – including in supermarket queues, on high streets and in other possibly crowded outdoor settings.
Also among four major demands is for the government to provide greater financial support for Londoners who need to self-isolate and are unable to work, backed by improved asymptomatic testing for key workers.
New research suggests almost half of intensive care unit staff working during the Covid-19 crisis is suffering from a mental health issue, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), problem drinking or severe anxiety.
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Almost half of ICU staff suffering from mental health issue
Almost half of intensive care staff working during the coronavirus crisis are likely to be suffering from problem drinking, severe anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.
The study, from King’s College London and published in the journal Occupational Medicine, found poor mental health was common among intensive care unit (ICU) staff, and was more pronounced in nurses than in doctors or health workers on the ward.
For the study, 709 healthcare workers from nine ICUs in England completed anonymous web-based surveys in June and July 2020.
Some 291 of the staff (41%) were doctors, 344 (49%) were nurses, and 74 (10%) were other healthcare staff.
Over half (59%) reported their wellbeing as being good but 45% met the threshold for probable clinical significance for at least one of the following conditions: severe depression (6%), PTSD (40%), severe anxiety (11%) or problem drinking (7%).
One in eight (13%) staff reported having frequent thoughts of being better off dead, or of hurting themselves in the previous two weeks.
Chiara Giordano13 January 2021 07:59
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London leaders demand tougher restrictions
London Councils and mayor Sadiq Khan have called for tougher coronavirus measures – including the closure of places of worship and mandatory face masks outside the home, including in supermarket queues and on high streets.
Also among four major demands is for the government to provide greater financial support for Londoners who need to self-isolate and are unable to work, backed by improved asymptomatic testing for key workers.
Mr Khan and London Councils chair Georgia Gould have also called for the the rollout of vaccines across London to be accelerated, and for the provision of daily vaccination data by borough and ethnicity.
In a letter to the PM, the leaders urged four other more temporary measures: an urgent review of what constitutes essential and non-essential retail, stricter guidance on how retailers can prevent unsafe queues and crowding, prohibiting click and collect services at non-essential retail chains, and stronger guidance on size restrictions for weddings, funerals and similar gatherings.
Chiara Giordano13 January 2021 07:56
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Good morning and welcome to The Independents live coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stay tuned for rolling updates and statistics throughout the day.
Chiara Giordano13 January 2021 07:50