UK health service under ‘extreme’ strain amid omicron surge

By DANICA KIRKA and MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party is missing the chance to grill Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the government’s COVID-19 policies after testing positive for the coronavirus. Johnson  is scheduled to answer questions in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon and to deliver a statement on COVID-19 as soaring infections stain the U.K. health system. A party spokesperson said Labour leader Keir Starmer would miss the session after testing positive for the virus. The Daily Telegraph reports that the British government is considering relaxing testing procedures to allow people who tested positive to return to work more quickly. A string of National Health Service local organizations have declared “critical incidents” in recent days amid staff shortages.