UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s fresh coronavirus restrictions have earned the Conservative PM the scorn of commentators online. Even US President Donald Trump is holding up his lockdown as an example of what not to do.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned,” Johnson told the nation on Saturday, announcing a new ban on meeting family and friends from different households in the ‘Tier-4’ restricted areas of London, the Southeast and Peterborough. In the rest of the country, household mixing will be allowed only on Christmas Day itself, rather than the five days either side, as originally planned.
READ MORE: ‘Can’t have Christmas as planned’: BoJo tells London, Southeast & Peterborough to STAY HOME over rapid spread of new Covid strain
#tier4 Everyone in London from tomorrow pic.twitter.com/FGWZJQIBng
Johnson’s Grinch-like restrictions were made in response to a new strain of the coronavirus that spreads faster. However, there is no indication whether the new variant is any more deadly or resilient than the previous strain, and the public hammered Johnson on Twitter for his heavy-handedness, venting at the new lockdown, and blasting the prime minister with memes.
Boris Johnson announces the new Tier 4 restrictions for Londoners. #Tier4pic.twitter.com/TAluFUPVIw
Borris catching you leaving your house in tier 9 #tier4pic.twitter.com/kULvCQEU69
Everyone in #tier4 to Boris right now pic.twitter.com/4gOyGeXA4v
Other posts suggested the public does not quite believe the ruling class will observe the same strict rules imposed on millions of Brits from Sunday.
Dominic Cummings be like #barnardcastle isn’t in #tier4pic.twitter.com/lmftU4OoPP
Breaking : Live scenes of rich people evacuating London right now #christmasiscancelled#Tier4#UTurnpic.twitter.com/jIn6uYm8dI#London
“Could someone tell me where Dominic Cummings is so I can hitch a lift home to the NE without any penalties?” one commenter tweeted, referring to Johnson’s former chief adviser, who broke his own government’s lockdown rules by driving to the northeast of the country while displaying symptoms and supposedly “self-isolating.”
Boris Johnson: pic.twitter.com/Ixkec17GFh
“England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said people considering leaving Tier 4 areas now should unpack their bag and stay at home.”Tier 4 Londoners in St Pancras right now: pic.twitter.com/tOQ39RT4ei
Even US President Donald Trump, an ally of Johnson, tweeted a video of the British leader’s announcement, declaring “We don’t want to have lockdowns. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself!”
We don’t want to have lockdowns. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself! https://t.co/sHBJfG9T8X
Shortly beforehand, Trump took aim at the news media in the US, which he accused of unfairly covering his administration’s response to the virus. “The entire WORLD is being badly hurt by the China Virus, but if you listen to the Fake News Lamestream Media, and Big Tech, you would think that we are the only one,” he tweeted, along with another video of Johnson’s announcement.
The entire WORLD is being badly hurt by the China Virus, but if you listen to the Fake News Lamestream Media, and Big Tech, you would think that we are the only one. No, but we are the Country that developed vaccines, and years ahead of schedule! https://t.co/z1UoJ8lbTm
Both the UK and US have approved a coronavirus vaccine manufactured by US drug firm Pfizer, while the US has also approved a shot by pharma company Moderna. Still, mass rollout is not expected until next year. In Washington, the government’s infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has predicted a return to normality by summer 2021, while in the UK, Health Minister Matt Hancock has issued a similar forecast.
tier 5 you know #tier4pic.twitter.com/cF3Ut65mtf
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