Brits prepare for end of all restrictions | Abroad

With the phasing out of all restrictive measures, Britons are preparing for the end of the Covid pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it’s time to treat coronavirus like the flu. The latest restrictive measures can be lifted from March 23, but if the House of Commons wishes they can also be lifted earlier, the Prime Minister said in a statement to the House of Commons.

Measurements

There has been speculation for days about the end of the most sweeping measures still in force. This concerns, for example, the use of vaccine passports in nightclubs and concerts. But by announcing the end of all restrictions, the British are going even further.

The announcement is partly due to the predicament of Johnson himself. His position is under pressure as the Prime Minister and his direct staff allegedly failed to play by the rules he had imposed on himself in the past. The abolition of the rules is particularly popular with critical libertarian Conservative MPs.

Vaccinecampaign

But Johnson primarily points to a successful vaccination campaign. Although the target set in early December of providing all UK adults with a booster shot by the end of this year has not been met, it means the vaccination campaign has received a huge boost. Almost two-thirds of all adults and the vast majority of vulnerable groups have now received a booster shot.

The announcement of the end of the restrictions also confirms the wisdom of the British government not to announce new restrictive measures around Christmas. With the number of omicron infections rising rapidly, pressure to do so was strong, including from the Labor opposition. Hospitals were under severe pressure at the start of this month, but that is in fact the case every winter with the NHS vulnerable.

Advisors

It is not entirely clear whether the measures now announced are shared by the government’s scientific advisers. Johnson always invokes “follow the science”, but in the past he has often ignored this advice. The opposition Labor Party backs Johnson’s measures on the condition that they match unpublished scientific advice.