【Text/Observer Network Ju Feng】
The British "Times" reported on January 19 that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's youngest daughter, Romy Johnson, who was born six weeks ago, was diagnosed with new crown pneumonia.
Sources told the British tabloid Daily Mail that Romi's condition was once "quite badly" but is now "getting better".
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and their youngest daughter are pictured at 10 Downing Street
Last week, the Prime Minister's Office announced that 1 member of Johnson's family had tested positive for COVID-19, but did not disclose who it was. After the briefing, the scandal-ridden Johnson did not appear in public for several days from last weekend.
It was not until Tuesday (18th) that Johnson publicly gave an interview to Sky News network to make a statement on the "party door" scandal.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said Johnson would "follow the epidemic prevention policy for close contacts who have been vaccinated," undergo daily nucleic acid testing, and minimize contact with others.
The scandal in Johnson's administration has pushed him to the most dangerous situation. The Conservative Party may have gathered 54 MPs to launch a vote of no confidence against them. A spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said Johnson would "continue to hold meetings" and that "most of them will be held online".
The Daily Mail said that when Johnson reappeared in Parliament, he seemed to be somewhat "emotional" and "a little frustrated", and now it seems that part of the reason may be a family affair.
Johnson, 57, was in critical condition after contracting COVID-19 at the end of March 2020 and spent several days in the ICU in early April. The Mirror said he had "come close to dying from the virus."
In April 2020, Johnson was admitted to the ICU of St. Thomas Hospital (Pictured from Sky News)
Around the same time, Johnson's wife, Carrie, who was in her third trimester, was also bedridden. She tweeted that she "already has major symptoms of COVID-19." At the end of April, the Johnsons' son was born.
Johnson's youngest daughter Rommy (6 weeks) and her brother Wilfred (about 1.5 years old)
The Daily Mail said that while children infected with COVID-19 are generally much less likely to have symptoms than adults, there are greater concerns due to the underdevelopment of the baby's immune system.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on January 20, on Wednesday, the number of new confirmed cases in the United Kingdom fell from the peak, but it still exceeded 100,000 cases. At this time, Johnson announced that because experts believe that the epidemic in Omicron has reached its "peak", the British government will remove most of the epidemic prevention restrictions from January 27, including mandatory wearing of masks and vaccine passes (COVID Pass), so that British people can further return to normal life.
Chart of changes in the number of new confirmed cases in the UK. Excerpt from The Telegraph
Some British experts warned that the British government lifted the epidemic prevention restrictions and the epidemic may rebound again. Agence France-Presse mentioned in the report that some speculated that the relaxation of epidemic restrictions was driven by the "embattled" Johnson because he wanted to please critics. The "Party Gate" scandal has caused dissatisfaction among party lawmakers, and the voices within the party calling for his resignation have gradually increased.
Even under the news of Johnson's daughter's diagnosis, many netizens commented that Johnson was "using her daughter" to win sympathy in order to divert public attention from the scandal.
Comments below the Daily Mail-related news
Even though support has fallen to a freezing point, the Prime Minister's Office insists Johnson will "overcome all challenges" and "fight for the next campaign".
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