Corona pandemic
Despite record infections: Boris Johnson gives the green light for “cautious” New Year’s Eve celebrations
There will be fireworks on London’s Tower Bridge like last year at the turn of the year
© Jonathan Brady / PA Wire / DPA
The large number of booster vaccinations “allows us to celebrate the New Year as cautiously as we do” – with these words British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wipes the corona aggravations off the table. However, the corona tests are slowly becoming scarce.
Great Britain is currently tweaking everywhere: Because of the Brexit, there is a shortage of workers, which is why the costs of energy, transport and products will rise if the latter even end up on store shelves. After the turn of the year, customs duties and taxes will be raised, and inflation is likely to continue to rise. It is estimated that every British household will have to pay around 1200 pounds, i.e. around 1400 euros in additional costs. So the people desperately need good news. And now they come from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Whereby good is relative, but at least many English people will like to hear them. Because the Prime Minister “approves” the New Year’s Eve celebrations despite new record levels for corona infections. “Everyone should enjoy the end of the year,” he said now. Although the number of new infections and hospital admissions are increasing, there is a big difference, said Johnson. “The large number of booster vaccinations means that infections are much milder. This allows us to celebrate the New Year as gently as we do. “
Johnson waives stricter corona regulations
The head of government recently ruled out any tightening of the New Year’s rules. Mask must be worn in theaters, cinemas and museums, as well as in shops and public transport, and 3G rules apply to clubs and major events. However, pubs, discos and restaurants are mostly open without restrictions. In the British parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, much stricter rules apply. It is feared that tens of thousands of Scots and Welsh people are taking advantage of the lax rules in England and traveling to New Years Eve celebrations.
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Johnson said the “overwhelming majority” of people in intensive care units have not received a booster vaccination. It is up to 90 percent of corona patients. The prime minister called on all people who had not yet had a booster to get an injection as soon as possible. Everyone will be offered a vaccination appointment by the end of the year, Johnson said. So far, 57 percent of those over 12 have received a booster vaccination.
The corona self-tests are also running out
Most recently, with 129,000 new infections within 24 hours, a new high in corona cases was reported. The figures from Northern Ireland and Scotland were not yet available due to delays in sending data over the holidays. The Scottish authorities only reported a preliminary record of 9,360 new infections.
Because of the rapid increase in the Omikron variant, pharmacies are also running out of free rapid tests. 900,000 tests are currently made available every day. This amount is nowhere near enough, said the head of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, Leyla Hannbeck, the broadcaster BBC Radio 4. “Every five minutes or so someone comes and asks for a test.” The current government guidelines are the reason for the enormous demand. According to this, all people who have had contact with infected people should test themselves daily for the virus for a week. The free self-tests can also be ordered online. The UK Health Service Agency (UKHSA) admitted that there were always no tests due to bottlenecks.
Sources: BBC, DPA, AFP, “Guardian“