UK PM Boris Johnson claims country is in better position in 2021 than 2020 to handle COVID

Despite the fact that the cases of the new variant of COVID19 Omicron continue to rise in the UK, Prime Minister Johnson claimed that the country was in a better position than last year. UK PM Boris Johnson shared a message stating that the country is in incomparably better shape than it was this time last year in terms of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Twitter, the PM shared a video message stating whatever the challenges that fate continues to throw their way, and whatever anxieties people may have about the weeks and months ahead, particularly about the Omicron and the growing numbers in hospitals, they can say one thing with certainty is that their position this December 31 is incomparably better than last year. He also stated that the country has the fastest economic growth in the G7.

'Most open economy of any major European country'

Johnson also claimed that they have more people at work now than they were before the pandemic began. He then stated that the one reason why the UK has been able to maintain the most open economy of any major European economy is because of the British people, who have responded voluntarily. PM Johnson also praised the COVID-19 vaccine program's performance and the public response to the booster campaign, declaring that the government's target of providing a third dosage to every eligible adult in the UK had been met.

Johnson has stated that they will not impose new COVID-19 social restrictions in England to combat the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant. According to ANI, on Thursday, the UK registered 189,213 COVID-19 cases, which is a new daily record since the pandemic began in March 2020, while the number of patients in hospitals in England alone increased to 11,452, the highest level since February.

COVID test scarcity

On the other hand, following a large increase in demand for the COVID test, the UK is experiencing a COVID test scarcity, with millions of individuals unable to obtain the test. The shortfall has been blamed on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who urged people to get rapid COVID testing before going out for New Year's Eve, and the Omicron wave has raised the demand for lateral flow tests and PCRs, according to the Guardian.

(Inputs from ANI)