The Times - UK (2021-12-22)

the times | Wednesday December 22 2021 13

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As the UK contemplates further re-

strictions to slow the spread of Covid-

19, much of the rest of the world is re-

sisting new curbs on social activity, fo-

cusing instead on less intrusive

measures.

In America, President Biden last

night promised more vaccinations,

rapid testing at home and mobilising

military medical personnel to ease the

burden on hospitals, pledging not to

bring in new federal restrictions.

The decision came despite a surge in

cases, of which an estimated 73 per cent

are now the Omicron variant, accord-

ing to the US Centres for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention.

Biden’s response to the rapidly

spreading Omicron variant included

more testing sites, hospital beds and

equipment. His measures were in step

with curbs across much of the world to

restrict social activity.

Australia’s prime minister, Scott

Morrison, said that people should use

common sense to protect themselves

and others as the number of Omicron

cases rose rapidly. Morrison said that

leaders would have to “continue to cali-

brate” how to live with the virus with-

out lockdowns. “The time for that

heavy hand is behind us,” he said. “We

have to move from a culture of man-

dates to a culture of responsibility.”

South Africa, where Omicron was

first detected, has moved to the lowest

level of a five-step “alert system” of re-

strictions. Gatherings are restricted to

up to 750 people indoors and 2,000 out-

doors, or 50 per cent of capacity at

venues where social distancing of 1.5m

cannot be maintained. Funerals can last

up to two hours and are limited to 100

guests. Masks must be worn in public.

India has abandoned all nationwide

restrictions because case numbers have

plunged since May. Other countries

with almost no restrictions include

Japan; its football stadiums are full but

fans are asked not to cheer or sing.

Among the harshest recent restric-

tions imposed recently in past months

were in Austria which has come out of

a three-week lockdown. Theatres, mu-

seums, restaurants and non-essential

shops are open to vaccinated and recov-

ered people. Unvaccinated people can

leave their homes only to go to work, do

essential shopping or exercise.

Elsewhere in Europe, measures are

similarly aimed at persuading the

unvaccinated to get jabs. Germany has

barred unvaccinated people from res-

taurants, cinemas, theatres and non--

essential shops and imposed manda-

tory mask-wearing in schools. From 28

December football matches in the Bun-

desliga will be played behind closed

doors. People using public transport

must be either vaccinated, recovered or

have a valid negative test. Olaf Scholz,

the chancellor, has limited private

gatherings for vaccinated people to a

maximum of ten before New Year’s Eve.

To enter a workplace in Italy, people

must show a green pass to prove

vaccination, recovery from Covid or a

recent negative test. Entry to restau-

rants, cinemas and football matches is

restricted to those who are vaccinated

or have recovered from the virus, while

medics, teachers, police officers and the

military must all be inoculated.

Spain has resisted reintroducing

measures against coronavirus. Only

Catalonia has opted to apply restric-

tions. The Catalan government wants

to introduce a curfew between 1am and

6am and limit numbers in bars and res-

taurants to no more than ten people per

table and 50 per cent of capacity. The

rest of the regions, which have the last

say over health policy, so far have ruled

out tightening freedom of movement.

Bucking the trend, France has

warned of possible new restrictions to

combat the spread of Omicron but has

so far closed only discos and nightclubs

while barring travellers from Britain

without imperative reasons to enter.

The government is moving to turn the

health pass into a vaccination pass. This

will mean excluding the option to carry

a negative recent test instead of proof of

full vaccination.

The Conservatives have slumped to

their lowest poll rating since Boris

Johnson prorogued parliament in the

autumn of 2019.

The prime minister’s personal ap-

proval ratings are now similar to those

faced by Theresa May in the week

before she was forced to resign, a You-

Gov poll for The Times has found.

Labour has opened up a six-point

lead after a bruising couple of weeks for

the prime minister in which Tory

backbenchers inflicted the largest

rebellion of his premiership, one of his

closest allies resigned from the cabinet

and the Conservatives were defeated by

the Liberal Democrats in the North

Shropshire by-election.

The YouGov poll puts Labour on 36

per cent, down one point, ahead of the

Tories on 30 per cent, down two.

The Liberal Democrats have enjoyed

variant, creating divisions within the

Tory party and his own cabinet, al-

though last night the prime minister

confirmed that no new measures would

be introduced before Christmas.

Tories’ poll rating at lowest since PM prorogued parliament

a small bounce following their upset in

North Shropshire and are up two points

on 12 per cent — their highest rating

since 2019.

The last time the Conservatives were

so low in the polls was during Johnson’s

prorogation of parliament in Septem-

ber 2019.

At that point the Tories maintained a

seven-point lead over Labour as voters

lent their support to the Liberal Demo-

crats and the Brexit Party. Johnson

eventually forced an election following

a further Brexit stalemate in parlia-

ment and the prime minister secured a

landslide victory.

Conservative Party insiders have

dismissed poor polling as a midterm

blip and blamed the party’s recent

struggles on public fatigue with the

coronavirus pandemic.

Johnson has been forced to reimpose

limited coronavirus restrictions follow-

ing a surge in cases of the Omicron

Lord Frost resigned as Brexit minis-

ter over the weekend because of the

government’s “coercive policies on

Covid”.

Seven out of ten voters think Johnson

is running the country badly and the

prime minister suffered the ignominy

of having his name chanted in widely

shared footage of the World Darts

Championship at Alexandra Palace in

London on Tuesday night where spec-

tators sang, “Stand up if you hate Boris”.

The prime minister’s favourability

with voters is now comparable to the

last days of May’s premiership. In the

week before she resigned as prime

minister, just 21 per cent of voters had a

favourable perception of May and 70

per cent disapproved.

The corresponding figures for John-

son now stand at 22 per cent and 68 per

cent respectively.

Sir Keir Starmer has the biggest lead

over Johnson since he became leader of

the Labour Party, with 34 per cent of

voters thinking he would make a better

prime minister.

Rumours have swirled of leadership

bids in recent days amid anger on the

Tory back benches over the reintroduc-

tion of coronavirus restrictions and

frustration at Downing Street’s strug-

gles to defend itself from allegations of

Christmas parties during lockdown.

Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, and Liz

Truss, the foreign secretary, who has

been appointed to oversee Brexit

negotiations following the resignation

of Lord Frost, are among those who

have been touted as frontrunners to

succeed Johnson.

However, senior Tories played down

the prospect of an imminent challenge

last week and urged Johnson instead to

reshuffle his aides in No 10 to improve

his Downing Street operation.

Women are turning away from the

Tories, Rachel Sylvester, page 35

George Grylls Political Reporter Downward slide

Westminster voting intention

2018 2019 2020 2021

20

10

30

40

50%

General election

2019

Source: YouGov

Under May

Under Johnson

Day but he added that he could not rule out further curbs after December 25

News

look pathetic, say Johnson’s allies

Biden sends in the army to

prevent another lockdown

David Charter Washington

Global cases Deaths per million population

275,466,

Global deaths

5,361,

Countries reporting most deaths

Most new cases

US

Brazil

India

Mexico

Russia

Peru

UK

Indonesia

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Data supplied by Johns Hopkins University. US data

fluctuates because of irregular reporting by different states.

Figures as of 6pm yesterday. Sources: UK government,

Our World in Data, selected countries

US

UK

Spain

Russia

Germany

Switzerland

Turkey

Belgium

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

World update

Rank Now Jan 31

1 ,23 4

1 , 299

1,4 31

1 ,

1 , 367

1 ,5 23

797

949

1 ,0 48

1 , 057

1, 309

1, 460

1, 555

1 ,3 75

6,

4,

4,

3,

3,

3,

3,

3,

2,

2,

2,

2,

2,

1,

Peru

Bulgaria

Bosnia & H

Hungary

N. Macedonia

Czech Rep

Georgia

Romania

Brazil

Argentina

US

Italy

UK

Spain

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

11

15

17

25

26

32

90,

807,

253,

79,

26,

21,

20,

18,

17,

617,

478,

297,

292,

202,

147,

144,

( 16 )

( 13 )

( 7 )

( 14 )

( 10 )

( 5 )

( 40 )

( 31 )

( 24 )

( 23 )

( 11 )

( 6 )

( 4 )

( 9 )