Correspondent in London
Two days ago, prominent members of the British government assured that the triggering of "Plan B" against the Covid was not necessary.
Boris Johnson finally decided to push the button.
At a special press conference on Wednesday evening, he announced a further tightening of restrictions for England to tackle the ongoing wave and spread of the Omicron variant.
And this against the backdrop of a national scandal, after the revelations about a Christmas party held in Downing Street last year in full confinement.
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In the arsenal of this winter "plan B" which he hoped not to have to use despite pressure from scientists, Boris Johnson drew several measures.
He asked for a return to telework from next Monday.
The wearing of the compulsory mask is extended to more public places, such as cinemas and theaters.
Health passports will also be requested for mass events and nightclubs.
The prime minister said the Omicron variant was spreading faster than expected and
"much faster than the previous Delta variant"
.
The Omicron risk
So far, 568 cases have been identified in Britain but BoJo admitted that the real figure was
"certainly much higher"
. Scientists have warned that without further measures Omicron could quickly cause 1,000 hospitalizations per day.
“I sincerely hope that the situation will improve but we know that the ruthless logic of exponential growth could lead to a sharp increase in hospitalizations and therefore, unfortunately, deaths,”
said Boris Johnson. Adding that it was necessary to
"remain humble" in the
face of the virus and that one could not yet
"assume that Omicron is less dangerous than the previous variants"
. The prime minister said, however, that thewe could not live
"Indefinitely"
with restrictions, deploring
"that a substantial proportion of the population has unfortunately still not been vaccinated".
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Ten days ago, the British government had already made the wearing of masks compulsory again in shops and public transport. He also tightened entry measures in England, all travelers entering the country having to present a negative test on entry and then undergo a PCR test two days after their arrival while isolating themselves while awaiting the results. Finally, the vaccine booster campaign was intensified, the period between the second and the third dose being shortened and the groups eligible for the “booster” extended to 18-39 year olds. Since the summer, the UK has been on a fairly stable plateau, with between 45,000 and 50,000 new cases every day and between 100 and 150 deaths daily. The pressure is mounting in hospitals,even if the wave is contained by a high rate of vaccination and third dose (more than 17 million people have already benefited from a booster).
Concerns about the economy
This new step in the lockdown reignites concerns about the recovery of the British economy which experienced a historic plunge last year.
The hotel and restaurant sector is particularly sounding the alarm as the Christmas season approaches.
Especially since the partial unemployment assistance system is no longer in force.
The population also seems weary of the restrictions.
A
Savanta ComRes
poll
showed Wednesday that fewer people are willing to accept these rules, while Downing Street is hardly showing the example ...
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Boris Johnson is indeed in the midst of a storm after the revelations about a "Christmas Party" which brought together dozens of people in December 2020. The Prime Minister had assured that there had been no party and that no rule was had been violated. But a leaked video shows Downing Street advisers joking about the matter. We see in particular the patron of communications at the time, Allegra Stratton, training with colleagues to answer hypothetical questions from journalists about this "party". One of them amuses himself by saying that
"it was not a party, but a cheese and wine evening"
.
Allegra Stratton gives the impression of mocking the world as drastic restrictions were placed on the British.
She resigned from Downing Street on Wednesday.
BoJo has apologized and announced an internal investigation.
But opposition members are calling for his resignation for these lies and public opinion is outraged.