UK Returns to 'With Corona'... Johnson's Gamble Amid Resignation Crisis

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo by Reuters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The UK is returning to 'With Corona' by removing masks again and abolishing vaccine passes. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared the easing of quarantine measures, stating that the Omicron surge has peaked, but criticism is mounting that this is still a 'gamble-like decision' due to the burden on the medical community.

According to major foreign media including the BBC on the 19th (local time), Prime Minister Johnson announced that 'Plan B,' which includes indoor mask-wearing and the use of vaccine passes, will end next week. From that day, the recommendation for remote work will be withdrawn immediately, and the mask mandate in classrooms will also be lifted.

The current mandatory 5-day self-isolation for COVID-19 positive cases will also be abolished, and restrictions on nursing home visits will be eased. Johnson said, "When the COVID-19 related legislation expires at the end of March, the self-isolation requirement will disappear," adding, "The timing can be moved forward from the schedule."

Johnson stated that experts believe the Omicron variant wave has passed its peak, saying, "Thanks to the success of the booster shot policy and the public's good compliance with 'Plan B,' we can return to 'Plan A' from the 27th."

On the same day, Johnson announced the easing of quarantine regulations shortly after facing intense attacks from opposition and ruling party lawmakers during a parliamentary Prime Minister's Questions session over the controversy surrounding a Downing Street drinking party.

As Johnson was pushed into a political crisis due to a by-election defeat and the departure of key ministers, and with calls for his resignation growing after it was revealed that he held a drinking party during the lockdown, this move is seen as a gamble to appease some lawmakers who are requesting deregulation and to quell the controversy.

On the day, senior ruling party lawmaker David Davis publicly demanded Johnson's resignation, and first-term lawmaker Christian Wakeford defected in protest against Johnson's leadership, intensifying pressure across party lines.

The Telegraph reported that Davis insulted Johnson by comparing him to former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was deceived by Hitler's tactics and signed the Munich Agreement, quoting what Conservative Party lawmakers said to Chamberlain.

Wakeford, in a statement announcing his move to the main opposition Labour Party, said, "The Prime Minister and the entire Conservative Party have failed to show leadership befitting the UK." Wakeford was elected in 2019 by defeating a Labour Party lawmaker in Bury South near Manchester in northern England, a Labour stronghold.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that lawmakers from both parties are discussing Johnson's successor, naming Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Housing Secretary Michael Gove, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, and Jeremy Hunt, who competed closely with Johnson in the 2019 leadership race.

Meanwhile, the UK's daily new COVID-19 cases recorded 108,000, surpassing 100,000 again. Although this is a significant decrease from about 219,000 earlier this month, the announcement at a time when the situation cannot yet be considered stable has led the medical community to oppose, saying Johnson made a dangerous decision to overcome his political crisis. UK Sky News criticized, "The government's policy may be the right direction, but a gamble is still a gamble."