London (AFP)

The United Kingdom has for the first time surpassed the hundred death mark in one day linked to the new coronavirus, a disease which particularly strikes London, confronted with a "tsunami" of seriously ill patients in its hospitals.

The spread of Covid-19 has accelerated in recent days, with authorities recording 115 deaths in 24 hours. The total death toll is now 578 deaths linked to the disease and 11,658 cases of officially registered contamination, announced Thursday evening the government, which ordered the people three days earlier to stay at home to fight against the spread of the virus.

Many cases have been reported in the capital, one of the largest European cities, where hospital services have sounded the alarm.

This tension is accentuated by the fact that the proportion of nursing staff absent due to illness is "30%, 40% and in some places even 50%", continued Mr. Hopson.

To cope with the urgency of the situation, the government has announced the opening next week of a 4,000-bed field hospital in a London conference center.

According to the British media, dozens of these temporary structures could be set up all over the United Kingdom.

The goal is to avoid an Italian scenario with overwhelmed hospitals.

- Aid for the self-employed -

But still, according to the authorities, the British must comply with the containment measures.

In the London underground on Thursday morning, it was impossible to follow the instruction to maintain a distance of two meters between people. The train frequency has been greatly reduced, crowding users into crowded trains.

Other Londoners took advantage of the spring sunshine to visit the parks. The Interior Ministry has warned them: those who ignore the instructions risk a fine of 60 pounds (66 euros), and the police are now equipped with additional powers allowing them to disperse the groups and order people to return home. them.

Criticized for their lack of clarity regarding tolerated exits, the authorities are also criticized for the insufficient quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) for carers, screening tests and respirators.

According to Secretary of State for Health Edward Argar, interviewed on the BBC, the UK currently has 8,000 respirators. Thousands more have been ordered but are not expected to arrive for several months.

The government's choice not to participate in an EU program to increase the number of respirators has, however, been strongly criticized, Boris Johnson being accused of putting Brexit before the health of his fellow citizens.

A government spokesman said it was a "communication problem" that prevented the government from participating in the "not receiving an invitation in time" program. He added that London "would consider participating" in similar programs in the future.

The government has prided itself on being the largest international contributor to the Coalition for innovations in preparation for epidemics (CEPI) to find a Covid-19 vaccine, announcing that it has released 210 million pounds (230 million euros) additional.

On the economic front, after having already announced unprecedented support systems for businesses and affected employees, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced measures for the self-employed. The government will pay them up to 80% of their monthly income affected on average over the past three years, up to 2,500 pounds (2,750 euros) per month, for at least three months.

Solidarity is also played out on an individual level: some 560,000 people have volunteered with the national health service, the NHS.

Thursday evening, some buildings lit up in blue in tribute to the NHS and at 8:00 p.m. (local time and GMT), people cheered from their windows and honked their horns behind the wheel of their car, in tribute to the nursing staff, on the front line facing disease.

© 2020 AFP