LONDON (CU)_Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson announced on Saturday (Jan 9).
According to a royal source, the vaccines were administered by a household doctor at Windsor Castle, and Her Majesty decided to let the public know that she had received the vaccine in order to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation.
The couple’s son, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 in March last year, after experiencing “mild symptoms”, while their grandson Prince William also tested positive for the virus, although exactly when he contracted the virus is unclear.
According to the Johns Hopkins University, by Saturday, the UK had recorded more than 3 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 80,000 deaths. In the recent weeks, with a new Coronavirus variant, first detected in the UK, sweeping the nation, the country is experiencing a dramatic surge in fatalities, with 1,325 Coronavirus-induced deaths registered on Friday.
Meanwhile, London’s mayor declared a “major incident” on Friday, owing to the spread of the virus being out of control.
“The number of cases in London has increased rapidly with more than a third more patients being treated in our hospitals now compared to the peak of the pandemic last April,” Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement. “If we do not take immediate action now, our [National Health Service] could be overwhelmed and more people will die,” he added.