UK health service under 'extreme' strain amid omicron surge

LONDON (AP) — The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss the chance to grill Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the government's COVID-19 policies Wednesday as soaring infections strain the U.K. health system.

Johnson said Tuesday that the country has “a chance to ride out” the omicron variant-driven surge in infections without imposing tough lockdown measures. He is scheduled to answer questions in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon and to deliver a statement on COVID-19.

A party spokesperson said Labour leader Keir Starmer would miss the session after testing positive for the virus.

Confirmed new daily infections across the U.K. jumped to a record 218,274 on Tuesday, 15% more than the previous high set Dec. 31. However, inconsistent reporting during the holiday period may have inflated the daily figures.

A string of National Health Service local organizations have declared "critical incidents" in recent days amid staff shortages. Hospitals in the Greater Manchester region said they would pause some non-urgent surgeries amid the rising impact of COVID-19 and worker absences.

Gillian Keegan, a junior minister at the U.K. Ministry of Health, acknowledged the strain in an interview with BBC Breakfast.

“Right now, they are under extreme pressure with the omicron variant, with the number of positive cases and the increase in hospitalizations, and at this point in (winter) time when they always have extreme pressure," Keegan said.

The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday that the British government is considering relaxing testing procedures to allow people who tested positive to return to work more quickly. The paper said that people who test positive using rapid lateral flow tests would only have to take a follow-up PCR...