VoltMany spectators, including foreign spectators, were shocked and sometimes even shook their heads when they were allowed to frolic at the Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon tennis stands in London in the summer.But unlike some sports commentators, Corona Not as a winner in this field. At least that is the result of the evaluation of the British “Game Research Project”, which includes 37 major events such as the European Football Championship, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Therefore, the infection rate in the stands is comparable to or even lower than the country’s average.
Oliver Dowden, the minister in charge of culture and sports, summed up the scientific results: “We have proven that we can safely host large cultural and sporting events.” But “it is important that people be cautious in very narrow areas.” In this way, we can guarantee the safety of football stadiums, theaters and concert halls this winter and be full this winter.” Dawden also used this research to encourage all fans to be vaccinated. This is still “the safest way to fully celebrate the event.”
No restrictions, no protests
No longer need to reach too much. Now 87.7% of people over 16 have received one dose of the vaccine and 76.7% have received a second dose. The British government is fighting unequal treatment in the agreement reached in Germany. The government continues to rely on education to convince people who have not been vaccinated. On Monday, she released a video showing young people who have been infected for a long time. So far, people who have been vaccinated have only one advantage in public life: they don’t have to be isolated at home when returning from a “yellow list” in a dangerous area. The government is considering making club attendance depend on vaccination certificates to encourage young people to vaccinate specifically. But so far, she can’t let herself do it. Anything that sounds like identity is necessary, especially in liberal conservative circles.
Although Germany is concerned about its increasing incidence, the UK has adapted to its fluctuating corona figures, which have just risen again. The fact that the number of new infections has increased by 20% (over 32,000 per day) in the past week has caused relatively little excitement. During the same period, the number of hospitalizations and deaths rose by 6 and 8 percentage points (948 and 48 per day, respectively), which hardly aroused anyone’s alarm. Since July 19, the state has not implemented corona restrictions, and protests against this have been very limited.
Oppose the “third shot”
Until July 17, two days before the government’s “Freedom Day”, the fourth wave seemed unstoppable. The number of infections has reached nearly 50,000 per day—on May 1, there were only 1,355 cases per day. The startling progress between early May and mid-July prompted epidemiologist Neil Ferguson and other scientists to warn that if the final restrictions are lifted, it is expected that there will be 100,000 or even 200,000 cases per day by August. Why the curve fell in the second half of July-up to 200,000 cases per day-and slowly rose again within three weeks, has not yet been satisfactorily explained.
One effect of recent trends has been attributed to breakthroughs in vaccination. The proportion of newly infected people who are fully vaccinated is increasing; the reason is obviously that the protective function of the vaccine on the population vaccinated at the beginning of the year has slightly decreased. It is expected that the National Vaccination Committee will not recommend that the government follow the example of the United States and launch a “booster program” in the fall. It is said that the impact is too small and the available data is insufficient. On the other hand, a large-scale strengthening plan may weaken people’s confidence in the protective effects of vaccination. Last but not least, for everyone, what is opposed to the “third shot” is that it will also hinder aid to poorer countries. Therefore, experts only hope to provide targeted quotations for risk groups.
