In England, most of the corona rules end on Monday – but in other parts of Great Britain the motto is: put on a mask. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making a corona patchwork of the country, say critics.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is known for his unwavering confidence. At the moment, however, Johnson seems more like a supplicant. The government expects and encourages everyone to keep wearing masks, says Johnson. He’ll definitely put one on himself when he’s in a crowded place. But despite all the begging: If almost all Corona measures in England end this Monday, the largest British part of the country will be facing a “mask chaos”, criticize experts and unions. Because then neither distance rules nor mask requirements apply. Nightclubs open and events no longer have a maximum attendance limit.
Companies in England are hoping for better business without the mask requirement
Johnson drops the masks: In trains, shops and cinemas, mouth and nose covers, which an overwhelming majority of scientists consider to be a particularly effective drug against the coronavirus, are no longer mandatory. Event companies and transport companies have already announced that they will no longer insist on wearing them in accordance with the legal situation. Without masks, so their calculation, they have more guests and generate more sales.
Johnson does not accept criticism of his plans. It is clear to everyone how they should deal with masks in the future, says the head of government – businesses and companies complain about a lack of guidelines. Entrepreneurs are “understandably confused” about the statements from Downing Street, says Roger Barker of the executive association Institute of Directors. “Throw away masks or keep wearing them? Government guidance does little to dispel confusion.” The TUC union warns of a “recipe for chaos and increasing infections”.
Johnson’s motto, on the other hand, is personal responsibility. Each individual is allowed to decide for himself how to handle the masks. It is the return to the liberal state that is largely giving its citizens a free hand and that many members of Johnson’s Conservative Party have longed for since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The prime minister is emphatically optimistic. The worst of the pandemic is behind the country, Johnson says. The message is connected with the warning that the return to normality will only succeed if caution is continued. Nevertheless, the sound is astonishing.
More people have to go to hospital again because of Corona
Because on the same day, the government reports almost 50,000 new infections – it is the highest daily value in half a year. The number of cases has increased by 43 percent in the past week compared to the previous week. Hospital admissions are also increasing again. Your clinic had to reopen the corona intensive care unit after two months, writes doctor Caroline Bullen on Twitter.
And even the government’s medical advisor warns that the number of hospital admissions could reach “pretty frightening” levels within a few weeks, warned Chris Whitty. “We shouldn’t underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly quickly.” Great Britain is also doing well because of the vaccination program. But: “We are not out of the woods yet,” said Whitty at a webinar at the London Science Museum on Thursday evening. However, he is confident that most people will continue to behave considerately.
Critics accuse Johnson and his government of steering a catastrophe with tens of thousands of fans in the stadium shortly after the European Football Championship. In an open letter, more than 1200 experts, doctors and scientists call for the easing to be postponed. Especially young people who have just received a vaccine dose and people with chronic diseases are at risk. Millions could get Covid-19 in the long term.
The government has no doubts that the number of new infections will continue to climb. On the contrary: Health Minister Sajid Javid considers up to 100,000 new cases every day to be absolutely realistic. The scientific expert committee Sage expects at least 1000 hospital admissions and 100 to 200 corona deaths daily. But Johnson sees the time has come to lead the country towards normalcy. “If not now, then when?” Is the government line. Mild weather and the upcoming summer holidays are better framework conditions than the flu wave expected in autumn.
England becomes a Corona outsider on the island
Nevertheless, there is no consensus in Great Britain, where health is a matter for the countries. With his advance, Johnson is making England an outsider, criticizes Mark Drakeford, Wales’ head of government. He’s loosening up just as cautiously as his Scottish colleague Nicola Sturgeon. Central component: the mask requirement. Drakeford emphasizes that anyone entering Wales by train has to put on a mask when crossing the border. There is a risk of a patchwork quilt.
Even in parliament there is great confusion. Parliament President Lindsay Hoyle complains that he has no authority to prescribe masks for MPs. Employees, on the other hand, still have to wear a mask, which is still a requirement on buses and trains in London. Mayor Sadiq Khan is therefore praised for his leadership, while his predecessor Johnson is now driving in the country on sight.
The government also wants to keep the follow-up program in force, which it set up a good year ago for tens of billions of pounds. This also includes a corona warning app: Last week, it asked more than 520,000 users to isolate themselves because of close contact with someone who had tested positive – almost 50 percent more than in the previous week. The government is concerned. But not because of the large number of potential cases. Cabinet member Robert Jenrick believes that one has to think about how the app can react in a “more proportionate” way. Many MPs are also said to have already deleted the app so that they do not have to be quarantined.
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