Britain’s health secretary said on Sunday he wouldn’t rule out more restrictions before Christmas, but the prime minister would most likely face sharp pushback from his own party.
Tag: Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Great Britain)
A Claim of Herd Immunity Reignites Debate Over U.K. Covid Policy
Neil Ferguson, a leading epidemiologist, said the country had almost reached a state of herd immunity as it settled into a new normal of about 40,000 cases a day. Other experts disagreed.
Britain’s Covid Missteps Cost Thousands of Lives, Inquiry Finds
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s slowness last year to impose a lockdown and institute widespread testing had tragic results, according to a parliamentary report.
Alarm in U.K. Over Virus Variant Bolsters Case for Lockdown
A warning that the variant could be deadlier is a powerful argument that Britain could be entering a severe new phase of the pandemic and that easing lockdown rules could be calamitous.
Europe Said It Was Pandemic-Ready. Pride Was Its Downfall.
The coronavirus exposed European countries’ misplaced confidence in faulty models, bureaucratic busywork and their own wealth.
After Months of Debate, England Requires Face Masks for Shoppers
Many parts of Europe and the United States already require masks in stores, but in Britain the idea has come up against the twin fears of appearing either perturbed or ridiculous.
Face Masks to Be Compulsory for Shoppers in England
The order, set to come into force on July 24, will put England in line with other European countries and with some other parts of Britain.
For Boris Johnson’s Science Advisers, Pressure, Anxieties and ‘Pastoral Support’
As public scrutiny of a secretive panel of scientists heightened, its members nearly buckled under the strain.
As Virus Deaths Jump, Boris Johnson’s Press Relations Turn Testy
A strain of populism, similar to that during the Brexit campaign, is visible in the government’s aggressive rebuttals and critiques of the news media.
Boris Johnson Aide Attended Secretive U.K. Coronavirus Panel
Dominic Cummings, a major Brexit strategist, took part in Britain’s top scientific advisory group, but only to listen and offer help, the government said.