Since the UK was fully opened in July, the daily number of new crown diagnoses has continued to be between 40,000 and 50,000. Relatives and friends in China have always felt that it is a bit incredible. The number of infections is so high that life in the UK seems to have returned to normal. You can see the Premier League games are full, the streets are bustling, restaurants and bars are full. So, the friend joked: “You really don’t itch anymore.”
Yes. When I can return to China to visit relatives and visit my parents is still a long way off. Every time I go out, I have to check my pocket for a mask, and I have to urge my son to take a self-examination twice a week. Other than that, my life in the past few months has been pretty normal. . The government still has some regulations. For example, infected people must self-isolate for 10 days, and they still need to be tested when they return from overseas travel, but the successful promotion of the vaccine has indeed created a line of defense.
The discovery of the Omicron mutant strain in South Africa instantly changed the trajectory of Merry Christmas.
The dynamism of London’s theatre concert halls is back. I also went to a concert and went to a musical. I went back to the velvet seats. The lights in the theater dimmed, and the curtain opened on the stage. I thought: This is also a necessity of life. The children have also returned to reality from the Internet. Although the daughter’s university can still choose online classes for large classes, the weekly tutoring has resumed face-to-face. All kinds of parties are back, bars and clubs are open, young people have a place to radiate energy on weekends, and all the fun of college life can finally be re-experienced. The three blockades have caused great harm to the mental health of primary and secondary school students. Therefore, ensuring the continuous opening of schools is the first task. Vaccinations for 12 to 15-year-olds have been implemented.
Before Christmas last year, Kent’s new crown mutation was discovered in the United Kingdom, and various countries cut off flights, making the United Kingdom a veritable island. Therefore, it is very important to ensure the normal reunion of Christmas and New Year this year. In early November, the UK travel red list was cancelled, and US and UK flights resumed. Many families across the ocean can finally reunite. At the end of the year, the company is arranging Christmas parties. Father-in-law and mother-in-law begin to assign which house the young couple should go to this year. The Christmas drama at school has been rehearsed. . The large-scale touring exhibition of “Lu Xun and Chinese Prints” by the Woodblock Education Trust will come to the Brunei Gallery of the University of London in January next year. This opening reception is indispensable. The invitation list is drawn up and the promotional posters are designed.
However, on the evening news on November 25, the discovery of the mutant strain of Omicron in South Africa instantly changed the track of Merry Christmas. Ten countries including South Africa were quickly included in the “red list”. The government launched a backup plan for epidemic prevention. Masks in public indoor places have become a legal requirement. Those who do not need to go to the office should choose to work from home. Three weeks later, the severity of the epidemic became clearer: Omicron is very contagious, far surpassing any previous mutation; although the two-shot vaccine is still effective for severe cases, it is very limited in preventing infection and transmission. injection is crucial. The Prime Minister struggled to expose the scandals of Downing Street’s “renovation door” and “party door”, and launched the “National Action for Emergency Booster Shots”. There was a long queue outside a makeshift injection clinic, and many people waited for hours in the cold wind.
The tide of Omicron is surging. In the past few days, the daily number of confirmed cases in the UK is rushing to a new high, nearly 100,000, not to mention the number of infected people who have not been tested. Although the government has not issued more stringent prevention and control measures, the common people have already walked in front of the government and began to self-isolate. Premier League matches have been frequently postponed due to the infection of players. Many theaters in the West End have voluntarily closed their doors. Most of the reservations in restaurants and bars have been cancelled. The week before Christmas is the busiest shopping season, and the number of pedestrians on the streets has decreased significantly. The Mayor of London announced that London has entered a “state of emergency”, and Omicron will double every two to three days. Even if the proportion of severely ill patients is small, the huge base will still make the medical care in the UK unbearable, not to mention many Healthcare workers will need to self-isolate due to the infection. It is no longer possible to continue “normal life”. The booster needle and the virus are racing, but the outcome is still unpredictable.
