U.K. nurses warn the latest COVID-19 surge is pushing them to the breaking point

Britain’s main nurses’ union warned Monday that exhaustion and surging coronavirus cases among medical staff are pushing them to the breaking point, adding to pressure on the government for new restrictions to bring down record-high infection numbers driven by the Omicron variant.

Patricia Marquis, England director for the Royal College of Nursing union, said the situation over the next few weeks looked “very bleak,” as growing absences from sickness and self-isolation hit hospitals struggling to clear a backlog of postponed procedures and treat normal winter illnesses alongside coronavirus cases.

“In many places they’re already under immense stress and pressure, and so they