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Senior British officials called for "learning to live with the virus": the 95-year-old queen can do it

author:Observer.com

(Observer Network News) On the 20th, the news that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was diagnosed with the new crown suddenly came out, which shocked the outside world. On the 21st, the British media "Daily Telegraph" reported that a minister praised the queen's attitude of working with illness, and said that the queen's example can let everyone see how we coexist with the virus...

At this time, the British government is about to lift the two-year epidemic prevention restrictions. Some media said that many Britons have begun to worry that after the self-segregation regulations are lifted, going to work will become a legitimate risk of death for those who are extremely susceptible to the new crown. The minister's example of the queen undoubtedly exacerbated this concern, "After all, if a 95-year-old can do it, why can't you?" ”

Senior British officials called for "learning to live with the virus": the 95-year-old queen can do it

Screenshot of the Daily Telegraph report

According to the Daily Telegraph, it was British Small Business Minister Paul Scully who made the remarks. In an interview with Sky News, he praised the Queen's attitude of still dealing with affairs after the diagnosis, saying that this is exactly what the government is talking about "learning to live with the virus".

"She's still working, but working from home, working in isolation. That's exactly what we're talking about — learning to live with the virus," Scully told Sky News.

Scully went on to say that the British government can get as many people as possible back to freedom, get as many people as possible to continue their jobs, and let the economy recover, but this cannot be at the expense of life and well-being, and "we must strike this balance absolutely correctly". According to the Daily Telegraph, Scully also stressed the need to respond to COVID-19 in a similar way to dealing with the flu, "we want to make people feel like they are back to normal life, while keeping people safe".

Senior British officials called for "learning to live with the virus": the 95-year-old queen can do it

Paul Scully

Scully's words, which are almost in line with British Prime Minister Johnson's announcement that he is about to lift the restrictions on epidemic prevention, are almost "in line", that is, they all want the British to "learn to live with the virus" and then "protect themselves without restricting their freedom".

On February 19, local time, the British government announced that starting next week, it plans to cancel the self-isolation requirement for people infected with the new crown as part of the "coexistence with the virus" plan, which may also reduce the number of tests for the new crown. Prime Minister Johnson also said in a statement: "The coronavirus will not suddenly disappear, we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedom." ”

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the 21st, since the implementation of large-scale testing, the law in the United Kingdom stipulates that people must self-isolate for a fixed period of time after testing positive. Specifically, patients who are positive or asymptomatic must be isolated for 10 days, but if they test negative on days 5 and 6, isolation can be ended early.

However, the new plan announced by the British government on the 19th means that those diagnosed will no longer be restricted from their freedom, and they can freely use shops, work by public transport, and go to work when they know that they are infected.

For the United Kingdom, where the epidemic situation is still grim, such a policy shift is undoubtedly controversial. After the policy of eliminating self-isolation was announced, some of the British government's scientific advisers said it was a risky move that could lead to a surge in infections and weaken the country's defenses against more deadly strains in the future, the Associated Press reported. According to The Independent, this strategy is supported by "senior cabinet ministers who are keen to protect the economy.".

In addition to the controversy, it is quite embarrassing that just the day after the British government announced that England was about to completely lift the epidemic prevention restrictions, the news that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was confirmed to be infected with the new crown virus suddenly came out. At that time, the BBC reported on the 20th that Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom said that the Queen tested positive for the new crown virus, the symptoms were mild, and it was expected to continue to work "lightly" at Windsor Castle in the coming week.

Unexpectedly, however, the news could still allow some politicians who supported the "coexistence with the virus" policy to find "bright spots". For example, in Scully's mouth, the queen who was diagnosed with covid-19 and still worked became a good example of the "coexistence with the virus" plan.

But the reality is that Scully's claims have heightened the concerns of some Britons. According to the British edition of the Huffington Post on the 21st, some users on social media have begun to worry that the queen will be used as a role model to force people to continue to work after testing positive for the new crown. "After all, if a 95-year-old can do it, why can't you?"

Senior British officials called for "learning to live with the virus": the 95-year-old queen can do it

Screenshot of the Huffington Post UK report

The Huffington Post explained that after Johnson announced he would end self-isolation, many Britons were questioning what the new plan meant in the workplace. A major concern is that going to work will become a legitimate risk of death for those who are clinically highly susceptible to COVID-19.

Therefore, for Scully's behavior of using the Queen's example this time, the Huffington Post report also directly criticized that "the Queen's work during the new crown infection is not a good example as the MP said". "Is our obsession with work getting so out of control that we really have to praise a 95-year-old for working under a potentially deadly disease?" ”

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