London is in a precarious position when it comes to COVID-19. Remaining restrictions were recently lifted in the city along with the rest of the U.K. even as the highly infectious delta variant drives cases higher.
The city's delta wave won't be as bad as past outbreaks — hospitalizations and deaths remain low because of its high vaccination rate. But the trend is moving in the wrong direction. New cases are averaging about 5,000 a day, people are isolating at high rates, and hospitalizations are beginning to tick up. The reaction to loosened restrictions has been muted and often critical.
A big question is whether New York, another large city that has reopened after having been through the COVID-19 wringer in 2020, will face a similar resurgence of cases that could thwart its return to normal. The answer is likely yes — and there's a even chance it could be worse than London’s in some ways.