Queen's Sickness Comes at Awkward Time for Boris Johnson

The announcement that Queen Elizabeth II had examined constructive for the coronavirus comes at an ungainly second for Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, who was anticipated to announce this week the lifting of the remaining pandemic restrictions in England, together with the authorized requirement for many who check constructive to isolate.

Mr. Johnson, who faces a police investigation into whether or not he himself broke lockdown legal guidelines, had been anticipated to carry to an early finish the restrictions that had been scheduled to run out on March 24.

It was not instantly clear whether or not information of the queen’s analysis would change the timing of Mr. Johnson’s determination, which is anticipated as a part of an announcement on how Britain intends to reside with coronavirus.

However in a Twitter thread posted earlier than Buckingham Palace’s announcement on Sunday, Mr. Johnson mentioned that, due to the vaccination program, the nation was “now ready to set out our plan for residing with Covid this week.”

“Covid won’t out of the blue disappear, and we have to be taught to reside with this virus and proceed to guard ourselves with out proscribing our freedoms,” Mr. Johnson added.

Mr. Johnson later tweeted well-wishes to the queen, saying, “I’m positive I communicate for everybody in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift restoration from Covid and a speedy return to vibrant good well being.”

Downing Road had already mentioned that, below his new plan, those that examined constructive would nonetheless be requested to keep away from contact with others and can be urged by the federal government to keep away from work and to keep away from infecting others. Nonetheless the authorized requirement to take action can be scrapped.

The federal government was additionally anticipated to reduce its expensive testing regime, proscribing the usage of coronavirus exams which are at present distributed without spending a dime.

A vocal wing of Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Occasion opposes coronavirus restrictions and, given his political weak spot, Mr. Johnson may need struggled to steer his personal backbenchers to conform to any extension of the authorized requirement to self-isolate, with fines for many who break the principles.

Nonetheless some public well being consultants have criticized the concept of fixing isolation guidelines, and the opposition Labour Occasion has mentioned that its assist for the measure can’t be assured with out seeing the science behind the proposal.

Up to now week, greater than 300,000 individuals examined constructive for the virus in Britain, and practically 1,000 individuals died, according to government statistics.

On Sunday Wes Streeting, who speaks for the Labour Occasion on well being points, instructed the BBC that lifting necessary self-isolation guidelines was at this stage “not the proper factor to do.”

And considerations over the well being of the queen is probably going to attract consideration to the persevering with dangers posed by the virus.