Boris Johnson’s plan to get the U.K. back to normal is in disarray, with COVID-19 cases rising the most in the world and a public outcry over the prime minister’s perceived attempt to dodge isolation rules.
Pandemic restrictions are ending in England on Monday, a moment that was meant to herald the full reopening of an economy battered by its deepest recession in 300 years. The move comes, though, with the U.K. adding more than 54,000 new cases Saturday, and over 47,600 on Sunday, more than Indonesia, the pandemic’s current epicenter, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Johnson is fighting to regain his credibility after a furious backlash forced him and Finance Minister Rishi Sunak to drop their initial intention to not isolate. They held meetings with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who on Saturday announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.