Reuters on November 16 reported that Mr. Johnson will resume work through the Zoom application during a two-week quarantine period at 10 Downing Street (the UK prime minister’s mansion).
“I am feeling great. There are many things to share via Zoom and other electronic means of communication” – the British leader smiled and said in the video posted on the social network Twitter.
Mr. Johnson also sought to reassure his staff, reiterating that he was ready to address government priorities including the Covid-19 pandemic and the agenda. At the same time, the British leader thanked his subordinates for the difficult work they were carrying on.
On November 15, Mr. Johnson announced the NHS Test & Trace program (Tracking and Testing of the UK National Health Agency) required him to quarantine himself 2 weeks after meeting with congressman Lee Anderson, who showed a positive result for the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing pandemic Covid-19.
In March, Mr. Johnson suffered from Covid-19, had to use a ventilator in an intensive care unit and was away from the office for nearly a month. He said he “fought for his life while the British government prepared for a prime minister’s death while in office”.
In the latest quarantine, Mr. Johnson also faces Europe’s deadliest Covid-19 outbreak and prepares for a trade deal Brexit (Britain leaves the European Union) within a few days.
On November 16, Sky News reported that British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be pushing to reduce foreign aid spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) when he Expected to give a spending review next week.
The Times said the move was a way to save billions of pounds in public finances following huge spending in dealing with London’s Covid-19 pandemic.
Statistics page www.worldometers.info as of noon November 17 (GMT time), the UK has 1,390,681 cases and 52,147 deaths caused by Covid-19.
Across Europe, the second wave of Covid-19 began to show signs of slowing down but experts warned against being subjective. According to CNBC, many European countries have struggled with the second wave of Covid-19 since September. However, the latest figures show that the number of cases in Germany, Spain and Italy is stabilizing, while Belgium, France and the Netherlands have declined.
In October, governments in Europe issued tough social blockades and restrictions to prevent the spread of pandemic.