LONDON (UK) -Two of Britain’s most influential journals for healthcare and medical professionals jointly urged the government on Tuesday to cancel plans to ease COVID-19 restrictions for five days during Christmas or risk overwhelming the health service.
In only their second joint editorial in more than 100 years, the British Medical Journal and the Health Service Journal said the government should be toughening the rules rather than allowing three households to come to contact over five days.
“We believe the government is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives,” the editorial said.
The article came a day after the government announced that because of soaring cases in London it would be moving up into “Very High Alert” level.
London mayor’s Sadiq Khan also said the government should reconsider at its Christmas plans and the call from the respected journals will add onto the mounting pressure on the government to change course.
The two journals said that if there was no change of policy, the state-run National Health Service (NHS) would face a serious consequence after Christmas: stop most elective and non-urgent work or become overwhelmed by COVID patients.
“The main impact of a further surge in COVID-19 inpatients is likely to be felt most by those with other conditions,” the editorial said.
The editorial said, “It should now reverse its rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the five-day Christmas period in order to bring numbers down in the advance of a likely third wave,”.
The government has said its plans are kept under review but has not divulged that it would go back on its decision.
Steve Barclay, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told LBC radio, “What we’re asking people to do is the minimum possible, there is scope for three households to come together during that period. It is a difficult time so we don’t want to criminalise families for coming together at Christmas.”