Boris Johnson announces end of remaining COVID-19 restrictions this month
February 9, 2022, 5:14 pm

Boris Johnson announces end of remaining COVID-19 restrictions this month

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The Xinhua reported, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Wednesday that he plans to remove all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England a month earlier than planned.

Current COVID-19 restrictions were set to expire on March 24 but Johnson suggested rules could expire later this month.

The prime minister told MPs: "Providing the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive, a full month early."

During this week's instalment of Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, Johnson said he would present the government's "Living With COVID" strategy when the Commons returns from its recess on Feb. 21.

As of the end of last month, people with COVID-19 in England can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative on day five and day six.

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According to official figures, as of Tuesday, Britain had recorded 17,932,803 COVID-19 cases and 158,677 related deaths.

The Xinhua noted that more than 91 percent of people aged 12 and above in Britain have had their first vaccine dose, over 84 percent have received both, and some 65 percent have received booster jabs.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.