Showing posts with label Boris Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boris Johnson. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Reopenings Slowly Begin as Coronavirus Pandemic Continues


Some states will begin efforts to reopen more portions of their economy after over a month of widespread lockdowns and stay at home orders aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the disease COVID-19.

Earlier this month, a coalition of northeastern US governors formed in an effort to coordinate efforts to allow certain businesses to reopen. The Northeast has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, with New York and New Jersey composing the most active hotspot for new infections, and Massachusetts recently emerging as a center of new cases. Other hotspots include Michigan (especially the Detroit metropolitan area) as well as Louisiana.

Texas is the largest state so far to announce large-scale reopening efforts. For example, on Friday restaurants will be allowed to serve at 25% seating capacity, with counties with less than five confirmed cases (mostly rural and low population) will be allowed to reopen at 50% capacity. Over time the capacity allowance will be increased if the number of infections remains stable or decreases. While Texas has been spared the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, concerns over new infections linger, with Lamar County (home of Paris, Texas) reporting a stark increase in infections just before reopening efforts. Bars and movie theaters will continue to be closed.

Around the world, countries continue to face the worst public health crisis many of them have faced since the Spanish Flu pandemic a century ago. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself having been infected by the virus, announced that the UK was ‘past the peak’ in infection cases.


Monday, September 30, 2019

Britain Continues Its Messy Separation from the EU


UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s attempts to remove Britain from the European Union over four years after the country voted to leave the political bloc has continued to hit obstacles. The British Supreme Court, a relatively new institutional body, ruled against Johnson’s suspension of Parliament, itself an attempt to negotiate a deal with the EU without immediate domestic political opposition.

Johnson, a staunch supporter of Brexit who took over from Theresa May a few months ago, is tasked with delivering a Brexit process that has the support of Parliament and preferably that of the European Union. The EU’s support of a Brexit deal will ensure the country has access to the trade bloc following its separation. A “no-deal” Brexit would lead to higher tariffs and obstacles, which will negatively affect the economy. This would leave the UK in need of seeking free trade agreements elsewhere, with one with the US the most cited example.

Some of Johnson’s political opponents have called for his resignation, while Johnson seems inclined to push for a new general election. Polls currently have his Conservative Party in the lead.