England's deputy medical officer: Christmas may be difficult as Covid-19 is not over
November 3, 2021, 3:34 pm

England's deputy medical officer: Christmas may be difficult as Covid-19 is not over

UK-Burlington-Church street-Christmas tree/Pixabay

The Striats Times reported according to Reuters, Christmas may be difficult as the Covid-19 pandemic is not over, England's deputy chief medical officer warned on Wednesday (Nov 3), urging people to behave with caution and come forward for booster shots.

Britain reported 293 deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since March, and there have been an average of around 40,000 new cases each day in recent weeks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted restrictions in England in July, and has said he plans to cope with Covid-19 over the winter by relying on vaccinations rather than mandating masks or lockdowns.

UK-Christmas decoration-Christmas season/Pixabay

"Too many people believe that this pandemic is now over. I personally feel there are some hard months to come in the winter and it is not over," Dr Jonathan Van-Tam told BBC TV, adding that behaviour and the uptake of booster shots would determine how tough winter would be.

"Christmas and indeed all of the darker winter months are potentially going to be problematic."

Mr Johnson has cited Britain's success in the initial vaccination roll-out as he lifted restrictions, but a slower roll-out of boosters means that for many vulnerable people, immunity could be waning.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has said that taking action now could reduce the need for tougher measures later.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome, said he had stepped down from SAGE to focus on his work at the health charity, but added the situation was still worrying.

He said in a statement: "The Covid-19 crisis is a long way from over."

"The high levels of transmission seen in the UK remain concerning, but I stepped down as a participant of SAGE knowing ministers had been provided with most of the key science advice needed over the winter months."

Source: straitstimes

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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.