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Britain has extended its lockdown by 3 more weeks, with the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Dominic Raab, stating that the country will only end the lockdown if there is evidence of a sustained fall in coronavirus infections. He further added that when the lockdown ends, it will be ended in phases. Raab is currently filling in for Boris Johnson as acting prime minister, while he recovers from the coronavirus.
John Simpson, a veteran journalist who works for the BBC as the World Affairs Editor, believes that the Covid-19 pandemic might be ‘the biggest one yet.’ He is currently under lockdown in Oxford in the United Kingdom.
“The government’s efforts to put enormous amounts of money at the disposal of businesses has fallen down,” says Simpson. He cites the reason for this occurring as banks being reluctant to part with money.
Boris Johnson is the only world leader reported to have contracted the coronavirus. When asked if Johnson is a victim of his own inaction against the coronavirus, Simpson stated that the majority of people will make a judgement regarding the British government’s lack of willingness to take the pandemic seriously. He says that this is illustrated by Johnson’s insistence on shaking hands and meeting people in large gatherings, despite warnings from the World Health Organisation and other health experts.
The Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating political tensions between the United States and China. “The tensions were there, the coronavirus fed into it,” says Simpson.
“They’ve admitted that the number of deaths in Wuhan, the city where it started off, is around double the number the officials there gave,” adds Simpson. He proclaims that Donald Trump has chosen to highlight China’s involvement in the Covid-19 crisis to suit his personal agenda.
There is a lot of uncertainty in China regarding the future of the economy. The Chinese government provides a livelihood for its citizens and if they are unable to do so, further problems may arise.
In Britain, Brexit hasn’t been the topic of conversation for a long time. According to Simpson, unlike Brexit, the coronavirus brings people together because “we’re all in it against the virus.”
