COVID cases in the UK soar, facing the worst labor shortage

According to the latest data, Covid cases in the UK have quadrupled in the month since early June, ahead of Prime Minister’s plan to fully reopen the economy on July 19. Meanwhile, official figures show that COVID infections have risen above 30,000 for the first time since January.

Wednesday’s data reveals that there had been a further 32,548 coronavirus cases in the country.

Moreover, data revealed another 33 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

In terms of hospitalizations, the UK is seeing over 330 admissions a day on average at the moment.

On Wednesday, 2,144 people were in hospital in England with coronavirus. Notably, that’s the first time this figure has exceeded 2,000 since April.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the government’s approach to easing the country’s lockdown. Johnson announced that the link between infection and serious disease and death had been severed.

He has pledged to ease most of England’s COVID regulations at step four of the roadmap out of lockdown, expected on July 19.

The research led by Imperial College London estimates the cases to double every six days as a new wave fed by the Delta COVID-19 strain picks up pace.

According to ministers, we should be ready to see 100,000 infections a day.

The government has announced individuals who are fully vaccinated will not have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus from August 16.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization emergencies director Dr. Mike Ryan has urged countries to use extreme caution when reopening their economies from coronavirus restrictions.

A shortage of candidates hit unprecedented levels in the UK

The UK’s post-lockdown hiring boom roared as employers signed up the most permanent staff since the 1990s.

Remarkably, a shortage of candidates hit unprecedented levels amid the rush to reopen from lockdown and a sharp decline in overseas workers due to coronavirus and Brexit.

Recruitment companies are publishing hiring challenges across several sectors of the economy.

Unemployment in Britain has declined in recent months as companies scrambled to hire, decreasing to 4.7%, or around 1.6m people. The BoE forecasts that unemployment would rise to 5.5% after the furlough ends.

According to the British Chambers of Commerce survey, 70% of firms that had tried to hire staff in the three months to June had struggled to do so.

52% of companies announced they tried to hire staff over the three months to June. Remarkably, the sectors with the biggest problems recruiting workers were construction, hotels, and catering, and manufacturing.