"Tunnel End in Sight" Possibility of COVID-19 End... UK Nears End of Remote Work and Vaccine Passports

UK, Daily Decline in New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalization Rates Continues

Citizens are lined up outside a hospital in London, England, to receive the COVID-19 booster shot.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] As the spread of COVID-19 slows down in the United Kingdom, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert has offered a hopeful assessment, saying "there is light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against COVID-19." However, some experts remain concerned that the emergence of another variant besides Omicron cannot be ruled out.

David Navarro, WHO COVID-19 special envoy, said in an interview with Sky News UK on the 17th (local time), "(In the case of the UK) COVID-19 may continue to cause difficulties over the next three months, but the end is in sight."

He added, "It is possible to imagine that the end of the pandemic is not far off. However, we must prepare for the emergence of more variants and the possibility of a resurgence of the Omicron variant."

Regarding this, the British daily The Times explained, "Navarro's assessment suggests the possibility of the pandemic ending in the UK, coming as domestic new COVID-19 cases sharply decline and the government is considering lifting major quarantine measures such as vaccine passes and work-from-home recommendations next week."

Earlier, on the 16th, the UK reported 79,925 new COVID-19 cases, a decrease of more than 30% compared to the previous week, and the number of hospitalized patients also fell for six consecutive days from 2,180 to 1,604.

The Times reported, "As ministers prepare to lift most of the remaining restrictions in the UK next week, Navarro said, 'The UK can see the light at the end of the tunnel.'" The media expects that the mandatory use of masks on public transportation and indoors will likely remain, but work-from-home recommendations and vaccine passes (proof of vaccination or negative test) are expected to be abolished by the end of this month.

However, since the risk of new variants continues, there are opinions that caution is still necessary. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), pointed out at the World Economic Forum (WEF) event held via video conference on the same day, "Even if Omicron is the last variant of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unlikely to mean the end of COVID-19 as a whole."