Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Boris Johnson Government Under Spotlight As Covid Cases Rise Again In UK

Boris Johnson Government Under Spotlight As Covid Cases Rise Again In UK

Coronavirus: For two weeks, the number of new cases in Britain has wavered between 35,000 and 40,000 a day.

Britain has repeatedly trumpeted its mass vaccination programme against Covid-19, hailing its early approval of jabs as a key part of the long struggle to return to normal life.

But infection rates remain stubbornly high, contrasting sharply with its European neighbours and prompting fresh questions of the government.

For two weeks, the number of new cases has wavered between 35,000 and 40,000 a day, and on Monday nudged closer to 50,000 -- the highest since the July peak of the "Delta" variant outbreak.

The daily death count has often exceeded 100 since the summer, adding to an overall toll of more than 138,000, second only to Russia in Europe.

"Sadly, at the moment the UK has a higher level of Covid-19 than most other comparable countries, this is seen not just in positive tests but in hospital admissions and deaths," said Jim Naismith, professor of structural biology at the University of Oxford.

Across the Channel, France is recording some 4,000 cases a day and Germany 10,000. Deaths are running at about 30 and 60 daily respectively.

Questions are being asked about the gulf in figures, even if Prime Minister Boris Johnson -- who survived a spell in hospital intensive care with Covid -- appears unperturbed.

Scientists have already voiced fears that the high underlying number of cases could overload the state-run National Health Service, which is often under pressure in autumn and winter from respiratory infections.

"We always knew the coming months could be challenging," Johnson's official spokesman told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously different countries are potentially at different stages of their vaccination programmes and have different measures in place, so it's difficult to compare and contrast," he said.

"But it's important to strike the right balance between protecting lives and livelihoods."

School-aged children


Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said the rate of infections among older school-aged children "is clearly the driving force behind this sustained tide of new infections".

Vaccination rates are low among schoolchildren in Britain, and masks are no longer mandatory, although the government said earlier this month that they could be reintroduced if cases continue to rise.

While healthy children are generally able to fight off the disease, the rising case numbers "may be of concern to parents, grandparents with caring responsibilities, and teachers, some of whom may not be vaccinated or have health conditions that make them vulnerable," said Clarke.

A deeper dive into the statistics shows that Britain conducts twice as many tests as France, and six times more than Germany.

It also shows there are currently more people in intensive care units with Covid in France and Germany than in Britain, although overall numbers in hospital are comparable in Britain and France at about 7,000.

But while France's daily hospitalisation rate has plummeted in recent weeks to around 150 admissions, Britain's has not dipped below 500 since the summer, and has now risen to more than 900.

Infection rates in France, Germany and the Netherlands have also increased in recent days.

Britain removed Covid restrictions in July, ending social distancing and mask mandates -- although many transport operators still require them.

Proof of vaccine for visiting crowded spaces such as restaurants, theatres and nightclubs is also not mandatory in England, and has only just been introduced in Wales and Scotland, which set their own health policy.

Mitigation measures


Britain has mainly used the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which was shown to be less effective at preventing infection from the Delta variant than the mRNA vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna predominantly used in Europe.

The country also began its vaccination programme earlier, prompting questions about whether immunity is now waning, similar to Israel's experience.

Only 41 percent of those vaccinated have received a booster shot so far, raising further questions about the effectiveness of the follow-up programme.

Attitudes to mask-wearing also differ: according to a YouGov poll, around 15 percent of Britons say they never wear a mask in public. In Europe, it was about five percent.

The survey also indicated that far more Britons are returning to public transport or large gatherings than on mainland Europe.

That has prompted criticism that the government has become too lax on regulations, leading to complacency.

Johnson, who wants to get the country's economy moving again, is reluctant to reimpose restrictions, including lockdowns.

But Naismith said: "Some immediate mitigation measures (masking, ventilation) would seem desirable... With winter approaching, it might be worthwhile taking stock of where we are."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×