Doctors face choosing patients to prioritise in UK

International Desk
17 Jan 2021 01:11:22 | Update: 17 Jan 2021 12:50:11

The UK has recorded its third-highest coronavirus death toll, with a further 1,295 deaths and 41,346 new cases.

It comes as NHS doctors are facing an “immediate reality” they will have to choose between which patients to prioritise for care as coronavirus cases soar across the country.

Sir Keir Starmer has suggested he would back further lockdown measures as he said "the tougher the restrictions now the quicker we get the virus back under control".

Tougher restrictions have come into force in Scotland, with everyone on the mainland told not to leave or remain outside their home except for essential purposes.

Entering businesses to purchase takeaway food and drinks has also been stopped, with premises required to operate using a hatch or counter at the door. Drinking alcohol in public outdoors has also been banned, along with non-essential click-and-collect services.

Meanwhile, Professor John Edmunds, a leading epidemiologist, warned that the new Brazilian strain of coronavirus is likely to have already entered the UK.

And quarantine-free travel to the UK will end on Monday in an attempt to keep new coronavirus strains out of the country, Boris Johnson has announced.

The prime minister said anyone flying into the country from overseas will have to show proof of a negative Covid test before setting up. The government has also banned flights from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde over the emergence of a new variant in Brazil.