It took some time, but here it is: Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has just abandoned his reckless herd immunity theory, which concerned both England and Northern Ireland. This widely controversial approach aimed to freely expose the population to COVID-19, with the goal of naturally immunizing more and more individuals. In short: Boris Johnson wanted to let the virus spread so that a certain percentage of the population would get sick and eventually develop antibodies, allowing them to recover and simultaneously protect those not yet immune.
A chilling choice, given the staggering projections of potential victims.
Heavily criticized, Boris Johnson has finally made a complete turnaround… and has decided to align his COVID-19 strategy with the same principles as France and the rest of Europe.
This is a real relief for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which share a border. Now, there is no longer a gap in strategies: Northern Ireland is in sync with the rest of Ireland — excellent news that should help the Emerald Isle better control the risks of coronavirus transmission.
Nevertheless, the British government no longer hides the truth: the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, has lost a significant amount of time.
“We are four weeks behind other countries,” says Patrick Vallance, Boris Johnson’s chief scientific advisor.
Coronavirus: Rules Adopted in Ireland and Northern Ireland
A Call for Lockdown and Essential Travel Only
Since Monday, March 23, Boris Johnson has made a full 360-degree turn. Among the measures affecting Northern Ireland:
- schools, pubs, and restaurants are now closed
- Northern Irish residents are urged to stay home (with special emphasis on the most vulnerable populations)
- non-essential businesses are asked to suspend their activities
- only essential travel is permitted (grocery shopping, pharmacy visits, etc.)
These decisions will put Northern Ireland on the same pace as the Republic of Ireland. The British province will therefore operate at a slow pace for the coming weeks.
Hospitals and health services are already preparing to face an increase in cases in the coming days.
The Northern Ireland government now stresses everyone’s responsibility to avoid risky behavior and unnecessary outings.
