![]() Two weeks later, his fiancée - who suffered her own bout of coronavirus - gave birth to their first child. The prime minister was released from the hospital on April 12. British institutions calmly carried on, as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab temporarily filled in for Johnson, Queen Elizabeth II rallied the nation in a televised message, and the Labour Party elected a capable new leader. There was widespread goodwill for the prime minister during his illness, despite some head shaking over his boast several weeks earlier about shaking hands with hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Johnson was hospitalized for a week, including three nights in intensive care on oxygen. His health secretary, chief medical officer, and other senior officials (including Cummings) also fell ill. THE PRIME MINISTER’S NEAR DEATHįour days later, Johnson said he had tested positive for the coronavirus. lagged behind its continental neighbors in introducing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, leading critics to blame the government for doing too little too late. On March 23, Johnson introduced a national lockdown that prevented people from leaving home for anything other than essential work, medical care, grocery shopping, and once-daily exercise. Hours after Scotland and Wales closed schools on March 18, Johnson announced their shuttering in England Northern Ireland soon followed. However, he did not shut schools or ban large gatherings. He advised anyone feeling unwell to stay home, people over 70 to avoid cruises, and students not to travel abroad. On March 12, Johnson announced a move from the “contain” to the “delay” phase. Johnson relied on scientific advisors, who recommended against beginning social distancing measures too quickly lest people become fatigued and advocated “ herd immunity ” (though one advisor later denied this was the strategy). Responsibility for major public services (such as health and education) are devolved to governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland - all of which declined to follow Johnson’s guidance for England. Public support for Johnson plummeted 20 points and backing for his government fell 16 points over the late May holiday weekend, after news emerged that Dominic Cummings - Johnson’s controversial advisor who spearheaded the Brexit campaign and guided the COVID-19 response - had flouted lockdown rules by driving his wife and son 260 miles for childcare assistance from relatives after his wife became ill.īritain’s reopening was also marked by significant regional variation. However, his efforts to reopen the country on May 10 were marked by mixed messages and public skepticism. Surveys suggested the British were among the most pro-lockdown in the world, more reluctant to reopen businesses before the virus was fully contained than people in similarly affected countries.įavorability ratings for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was slow to implement a lockdown then nearly died from the virus himself, were initially high. Its losses were second globally to the United States, which has a population five times greater. By early May, the United Kingdom achieved the dubious distinction of surpassing Italy to have the highest death toll in Europe from the novel coronavirus.
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