Christmas in parts of the United Kingdom will be much more limited than planned after the discovery of a more infectious strain of COVID-19, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.
“I have to tell you with a very heavy heart that we cannot continue Christmas as we have planned,” the prime minister told a news conference.
The announcement followed the discovery of a new variant of the virus, which is much more infectious, spread in parts of London and southern England.
The new strain “may be up to 70 percent more transmissible,” according to early data, Johnson said, prompting him to conclude that “we need to act.” In response to the threat, the UK is modernizing its three-tier restriction system, which replaced the national blockade earlier this month.
What are the new restrictions?
In his statement, Johnson announced a series of new measures for the UK, which will take effect on Sunday:
- A new level 4 that would impose restrictions similar to the national blockade, including the closure of all non-essential services and strict restrictions on exit.
- A call for people from all over the country to avoid travel, except in special circumstances, so that the new strain does not spread.
- People in level 4 areas may not mix with anyone outside the household or support the balloon, including for Christmas Day.
- The special Christmas rules for the rest of the country – allowing up to three households to meet – will be limited to December 25, rather than the five days previously planned.
The prime minister defended the action, saying that “many of our European friends and neighbors are obliged to take similar measures”.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Emmanuel Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the virus on December 17. Following the diagnosis, he canceled all future trips, including one to Lebanon, and said he would isolate himself for seven days. French Prime Minister Jean Castex has also been set to isolate himself after coming into contact with Macron.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Andrzej Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda tested positive for coronavirus in October as the country faces a growing number of new infections. Duda, an ally of the nationalist law and justice party, was “feeling well” at the time of diagnosis. The day before officials announced his infection, the number of new cases in the country, 38 million, reached a daily record of over 13,600.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, who once said that COVID-19 tests are “beautiful”, tested positive for coronavirus, along with his wife Melania, shortly after senior assistant Hope Hicks contracted the virus. The infection came less than a month before the November US presidential election.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Ambrose Dlamini
Eswatini Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini has died at the age of 52 after contracting a coronavirus. He was the first leader to succumb to the virus.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing
Former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing died at the age of 94 on December 2, after contracting COVID-19. During his rule, he legalized abortion and brought high-speed trains to the country. He also promoted cooperation between European nations, especially in tandem with the former West Germany, establishing a strong relationship with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Silvio Berlusconi
The 83-year-old former Italian prime minister has tested positive for the virus and is believed to be asymptomatic, his party announced on September 2nd. The former prime minister gave positive results after going on holiday along the Sardinian coast, where rich and famous Italians were known to display masking policies.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Jair Bolsonaro
Brazil’s president, who has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic, contracted the virus in July. He was criticized for ignoring the safety measures recommended by health experts both before and after his diagnosis, including shaking hands and hugging supporters in the crowd. Both his wife and sons gave positive results.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Boris Johnson
In late March, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson came down with a coronavirus infection that landed him in hospital for several days. Johnson spent a week in a London hospital and three nights in intensive care where he was given oxygen and was observed non-stop. He was released in mid-April and charged hospital staff with saving his life.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Michel Barnier
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator for Brexit, tested positive for the virus in March. The senior official from Brussels sent a tweet in English as well as in French, saying that he is doing well and “in a good mood”. He added: “I follow all the necessary instructions, just like my team.”
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Alexander Lukashenko
Belarusian President Lukashenko told military officials on July 28 that he survived a “asymptomatic” COVID-19 infection on his feet, “a few days before his controversial re-election.” regarding the pandemic as a “psychosis” and went so far as to suggest cures, such as drinking vodka, taking saunas and playing ice hockey.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Jeanine Anez
Bolivia’s interim president, Jeanine Anez, announced on July 10 that she had the virus. “I feel good, I feel strong, I will continue to work remotely from my isolation and I want to thank all the Bolivians who work to help us in this health crisis,” the leader wrote on Twitter at the time.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Juan Orlando Hernandez
The president of Honduras spent time being treated at a military hospital after falling ill with coronavirus in June. He received specialized care, including receiving medication by intravenous drip. His wife and two presidential aids proved positive. Hernandez left the hospital in early July after his symptoms improved.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Alejandro Giammattei
The Guatemalan president told local radio on September 18 that he had tested positive for the virus. The 64-year-old, who has multiple sclerosis and uses sticks to walk, said his symptoms are mild. The government has said Giammattei intends to monitor his health and continue his official duties from solitary confinement.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was transported to a German hospital for treatment after contracting the virus. The 74-year-old looked naughty and spent his public appearance 47 days after giving positive results.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Luis Abinader
Luis Abinader, the newly elected president of the Dominican Republic, gave positive results during his election campaign. He recovered before the July elections and spent a week in isolation.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Jens Spahn
German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who led Germany’s fight against the pandemic, tested positive for coronavirus in October and had “cold-like symptoms”. He went into immediate isolation and soon recovered. Despite two fears of self-isolation for Angela Merkel and other ministers, Spahn remains the highest political case in Germany to date.
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Coronavirus: politicians who have given positive results
Not an exhaustive list
This gallery does not include all the major politicians who contracted the coronavirus. Others, such as Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, are just a few of the other top politicians who have contracted the virus.
Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier, Alistair Walsh
London under strict measures
The government is imposing new Level 4 measures in areas where the presence of the new wire has been confirmed, which includes London and parts of the south and south-east of England.
Reporting from London, Charlotte Chelsom-Pill of DW said the British government had returned to its word after presenting the holidays as a chance to relax and unwind.
“Just this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the cancellation of Christmas here in Britain would be” inhuman, “she said.” Now, with the news of this new variant, this is really what he did. “
Immunization program in full swing
Johnson assured the country that the new strain is no longer lethal and no longer resistant to the vaccine, but has caused infections in parts of the country.
Data on the new variety had already been sent to the World Health Organization, but Johnson took the opportunity to show that Britain was better able than most countries to “identify new strains of this kind.”
The prime minister – who was hospitalized with the virus earlier this year – also urged people in the UK to get the vaccine when called, telling them to “join the 350,000 people in the UK who have already received the first dose “.
