Harś c’roṇvîṛs cntrolz hv promtd an xtrordnri ǎtporñ v discntnt acrs ɖ cuntri
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Munde 28 Nvmbr 2022
Ɖ xtrordnri ǎtbrec v unrest ɖt spred ʈru Ćîna at ɖ wīcend z v a cnd ɖt hz nt bn sìn fr decedz. Protests r nt uncomn, gvn ɖ liṃtd mīnz fr ppl t xpres ɖer vyz, bt r yẓ́li locl insidnts best on sṗsific grīvnsz. Ẃl ɖr hv bn larjr indivijl protests in ɖ rīsnt past, ɖz hv rapidli spruñ p acrs mejr sitiz, includñ Bêźñ, Śañhî, Wūhan n Ćuñdū, n nǎ Hoñ Coñ. Ɖe hv tecn ples in prestijs yṇvrṣtiz tù.
Ɖe ćalinj a ziro-Covid poḷsi ɖt cmz fṛm ɖ vri top. N ɖo mni pṛtstrz r cōśs or sîḷnt – holdñ p blanc śīts v pepr t xpres ɖer dsnt – sm hv cōld fr hymn rîts, presfrīdm n īvn ɖ dparćr v Śí Jinpñ n ɖ Coḿnist parti, onli wīcs aftr Mr Śí imbarct upn a norm-brecñ ʈrd trm n ɖus indefiṇt līdrśp. Sć cōlz wr an increḍbl act v dfayns gvn ɖ cuntri’z incrisñli tît p’liticl cntrol.
At frst, Ćîna’z c’roṇvîṛștraṭji alaud most ppl t gt on wɖ lîf az yźl, ẃl uɖr cuntriz strugld wɖ rpitd locdǎnz or hî deʈtolz, or bʈ. Bt it hz loñ bn clir ɖt iliṃneśn z nt fīẓbl, n a poḷsi nǎ in its ʈrd yir z cōzñ incrisñ fṛstreśn n ic̣nomic damij, līdñ t a growñ numbr v locl Covid-rletd protests.
Ćînīz ōdịnsz woćñ ɖ Wrldcup notd unmasct crǎdz seḷbretñ n riylîzd ɖt plenti v plesz – nt jst ɖ reclis YS – wr livñ haṗli wɖt sć strinjnt cntrolz. Ɖen cem rports ɖt 10 ppl, includñ ćildṛn, hd bn cild in a blêz ẃl undr locdǎn in Ŭṛmćī, Śinjañ. Vidio śoud a fîr enjin venli trayñ t spre ɖ bildñ fṛm a distns. Dspt ɖ tît s’kṛticntrolz in Śinjañ, rezidnts gaɖrd t pṛtst. S’prîzñli, ɖ unrest spred t Śañhî, n ɖen onẉdz, wɖ ɖ ces bcmñ embḷmatic v uɖr deʈs rletd t ɖ poḷsi n inhymen inforsmnt.
Ofiślz iniṣ́li tc a reḷtivli handz-of aproć, wɖ a fy dtnśnz rɖr ɖn a swīpñ cracdǎn. Xtnsiv sveḷns mcs lêtr retṛbyśn stretfwd. Bt f incrist snsrśp n p’līsprezns d’nt si ɖz protests of, wrs me folo. Ɖ rspons in Śinjañ z lîcli t b hardr ɖn in prospṛs Śañhî. Ɖoz cōlñ fr lūsr cntrolz cn xpct mor līńns ɖn ɖoz śǎtñ “Opoz dictetrśp”. At ɖ locl levl, ispeṣ́li, ɖr me b pìsmīl cnseśnz. Ɖ parti dz nt rlî sol̦i on rpreśn n propganda – az potnt az ɖe r – bt olso on recgnîzñ ppl’z nīdz n inṭrests, n mītñ sm v ɖm, īvn f b’letidli n parṣ́li. Yt it hz incrisñli rlaid on tufnis in rīsnt yirz.
Mni sitiznz stl bac ziro-Covid meźrz, rgardñ ɖm az nesṣri. Ɖ laclustr vax̣neśncampen, n rfyzl t yz mor ifctiv foṛn vaxīnz, hz left eldrli ppl vulnṛbl. Infx́nz r olrdi rîzñ stīpli; frɖr rīlaxeśn cd si a wev v deʈs. Ɖ bst hop wd probbli b t dcler ziro Covid a lîf-sevñ trîumf, ẃć wl alǎ ɖ cuntri t muv t an intnsiv vax̣neśnprogram yzñ importd dosz n mitgeśnmeźrz includñ mascñ, tstñ n îṣleśn, ẃl invstñ heṿli in hlʈcer. Bt ẃl oʈoṛtiz rīsntli sīmd t b trayñ t īz sm aspects v ɖ ziro-Covid poḷsi, śorṭnñ qoṛntīn n telñ locl ofiślz nt t “oṿinfors” poḷsiz, ɖt cd, f enʈñ, b pt in rvrs bî ɖz protests. Bêźñ wl nt wont t apir t bǎ t preśr.
Ẃtvr ɖ s’lūśn, Ćîna’z ppl śd b fri t dscus ɖ dsiźnz biyñ md n ɖ līdrz hu impoz ɖm, n t pṛtst agnst ɖm. Ɖ parti dz nt rec̣gnîz ɖoz rîts, v cors. Bt ɖz ivnts śd rmînd it ɖt rlayñ on rpreśn hz its limits.
Ɖ bad hedlînz fr Boris Jonsn bgan wɖ an atmt t rīrait slīzrūlz t pṛtct ɖ bac-bnć MP Own Paṭsn, pṛgrest ʈru a siriz v reṿleśnz abt Crisṃs partiz, n r nǎ foc̣st on a masiv bac-bnć rbełn n qsćnz abt ɖ prim̦inistr’z prsnl oʈoṛti.
Wɖ a poṣbl bîilx́n dfit in Paṭsn’z prīvịsli sef sīt on ɖ cardz ɖs wīc, it z sef t cōl ɖs ɖ most dificlt pirịd v Boris Jonsn’z premịrśp – n ɖ Cnsrṿtiv pres, ẃć hz loñ bn loyl t him, z incrisñli xpresñ its unhapinis. Hir r xtracts fṛm cuṿrij v ɖ prim̦inistr in rît-v-sntr ǎtlets on Wenzde.
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Līdr coḷm, ɖ Tîmz
“Ɖr me b no paʈ bac fr Mr. Jonsn. Hiz travelz tc a dsîsiv trn in ɖ fiasco cnsrnñ Own Paṭsn, huz sspnśn fṛm parḷmnt Mr. Jonsn un’velñli sòt t bloc. Ɖ nośn ɖt rūlz v pṛprayti in public ofis d nt aplî t Mr. Jonsn n hiz frendz z nt b’livd bî public opińn, n hz pruvd dzastṛs t ɖ guvnmnt’s repyteśn.”
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Līdr coḷm, ɖ Dêli Teḷgraf
“Ɖ ny rūlz pást wɖ opziśn s’port bt ɖ scel v ɖ rbełn z a frɖr sîn v ɖ prim̦inistr’z wenñ oʈoṛti n Tori MPz’ dwindlñ trust bʈ in hiz jujmnt n hiz intnśnz wns parḷmnt hz gn intu rses. Ɖe hv pt dǎn a marcr ɖt h wd b unwîz t ignor.”
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Līdr coḷm, ɖ Dêli Meil
“Ɖ PM indyrd ɖ indigṇti v rlayñ on Lebr t win ɖ vot – anɖr daṃjñ blo t hiz frajîl oʈoṛti. N bî rlisñ a bliẓd v dybịs sttistics t s’port hiz ces ɖt Omicron z sć a dedli ʈret it rqîrz intrūsiv n drastic ax́n, h z tecñ s fr fūlz.”
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Līdr coḷm, ɖ Dêli Xpres
“Last nît ɖ prim̦inistr wún hiz vots on ɖ ny reğleśnz biyñ bròt in t tacl ɖ Omicron verịnt v Covid. Bt Boris Jonsn wl in ɖ cmñ dez nīd t rflect on ẃ olmst 100 Cnsrṿtiv MPz rbeld agnst vaxīnpasz.
“Ɖ ivnts in ɖ Comnz rflect a wîdr mūd ɖt peśns z wẹrñ ʈin … Mr. Jonsn mst unḍstand ɖt mć v ɖ cuntri z rīćñ ɖ limit v tolṛns on Covid rstrix́nz in ɖ absns v a dveḷpmnt ɖt clirli pozz a sgnificnt risc.”
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Dańl Finkelstein, ɖ Tîmz
Last nît’s vots śo ɖt Jonsn’z guvnmnt z nǎ dpndnt upn Sr Cir Starmr t pṛvîd a stebl mjoṛti fr its sntṛl poḷsi. Hǎ loñ cn sć a pziśn indyr? Hǎ rlaybl z it? N z’nt Starmr intîtld t insist ɖt f hiz parti z sstenñ Covid poḷsi, h òt t b cnsultd on ẃt it z?
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Maḍlin Grant, ɖ Dêli Teḷgraf
No Tori līdr in rīsnt meṃri hz injoid sć a ynīc oṗtyṇti [az Jonsn] t implimnt vîtl rform or mc cnsrṿtizm paḷtbl t fyćr jeṇreśnz – n nn hz sqondrd it qt so qcli.”
Ɖ guvnmnt’s ǒn sayntists, ɖ Lebr parti n ɖ public fevr gretr cōśn. Bt it’s Tori MPz hu cōl ɖ śots.
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Munde 13 Dsmbr 2021
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Olɖo Britn’z Covid-19 deʈnumbrz r nẃr nir ɖer pīc, it z soḅrñ t not ɖt ɖ frst prsn hz daid wɖ ɖ ny Omicron verịnt. Dêli infx́nz hv rīćt ɖ hîist levl sins Jańri. Omicron z spredñ lîc wîldfîr. It olso sīmz t hv unyźl cpaṣti fr riinfx́n – līdñ sm t cnclud, in hest, ɖt its simtmz r mîldr. Vaxīnz sīm les ifctiv agnst ɖs ny verịnt. Ɖr wl olmst srtnli b nīdlis deʈs, poṣbli tnz v ʈǎzndz v livz lost in munʈs, f nʈñ z dn. Ɖt z ẃ ɖ guvnmnt nīdz t fes ɖ facts n tec sirịs ax́n.
It hz so far feld t d so. Hisṭri z nt md in a vakm. Ɖ cuntri hz ɖ wrst poṣbl prîm̦inistr, līdñ ɖ wrst poṣbl parti v ɖ wrst poṣbl psweźn at ɖ wrst poṣbl tîm. Boris Jonsn’z lac v moṛl proḅti, grasp v dītel n compitns hz còt p wɖ him in ɖ poulz – drenñ ɖ oʈoṛti h nīdz in a pandemic. Oṗtynists, miniml stetists n trubl-mcrz in ɖ Cnsrṿtiv parti sns an oṗnñ t brñ Mr. Jonsn t hìl n rgard ɖ inadiqt rstrix́nz anǎnst az gwñ tù far t vot fr. In fevr v gretr cōśn r ɖ guvnmnt’s ǒn sayntists, ɖ Lebr parti n ɖ public, bt it’s Tori MPz hu incrisñli cōl ɖ śots.
Mr. Jonsn hancrz fr a “majic bŭlit”. Ɖ guvnmnt dz nt rec̣gnîz ɖt ɖ sośl factrz dtrṃnñ hlʈ r p’liticli dtrmind, n p’liticl ax́n me b nīdd t impruv ɖm. Ɖ prîm̦inistr w’nt acnolij ɖ rǒlz poṿti n iniqoḷti ple in ɖ risc v infx́n, ɖ cors v ɖ dziz n in ftaḷtirets. Instd h plesz hiz feʈ in vaxīnz n hom tstñ so Brítnz cn “liv wɖ ɖ vîṛs”. Īvn hir ɖ guvnmnt hz bn tù slo t act. Ćildṛn hv olrdi fest dsrupśn t ɖer scūlñ, yt in Ñgḷnd, ministrz hv bn tardi in vax̣netñ tīnejrz n hz yt t apruv a rolǎt fr yungr pyplz.
Būstrz wl hlp, bt ɖe w’nt baniś ɖ ʈret v ɖ Omicron paʈ̇jn. Ẃt z nīdd r inṭvnśnz t stop ɖ vîṛl spred. F Covid agn runz rayt ɖen ɖr wl b no oltrṇtiv t riimpozñ a strinjnt locdǎn wɖ fizicl distnsñ rūlz n rvîvd implômnt-s’port scīmz. Ɖ pṛtx́n v hosṗtaḷti wrcrz wɖ sm form v vaxīn îdntiḟceśn rezz ɖ haclz v Tori MPz hu hv no probḷm ɖt vizitrz t plesz ẃr yelo fīvr z endemic hv t pruv vax̣neśn wɖ a “yelo card”. Ministrz hv yt t apruv ɖ mandetri wẹrñ v ifctiv mascs, propr vnṭleśn v clasrūmz n oḟsz n sfiśnt sicpe. Ɖ śamblz z sć ɖt ẃn nyz līct ɖt ɖ prîṿtîzd n inifctiv tst n tres sistm wz biyñ wǎnd dǎn, locl public hlʈ d’rectrz wornd ɖt ɖe risct biyñ handd mor rsponsbiḷti fr Covid wɖt ny fundñ.
Omicron hz xpozd ɖ Litl Britn mntaḷti at ɖ hart v guvnmnt. Ɖ lo vax̣neśnrets in purr neśnz hv bn sáitd az a ci rīzn fr ɖ imrjns v mor denjṛs c’roṇvîṛsverịnts. Onli 6% v ppl in lo-incm cuntriz hv rsivd at līst wn dos. Bt ɖ YC hz rfyzd t bac a vaxīn-petnt weivr n hz cut foṛn ed. So dveḷpñ neśnz c’nt mańfacćr ɖer ǒn ćīp meḍsinz n w’nt hv ɖ rzorsz t dstribyt ɖm. Ɖ pandemic hz bn a pur advrt fr unristrend marcitforsz. Rūdolf Virchow, ɖ 19ʈ-snć̣ri Jrmn fziśn hu frst md ɖ linc btwn ɖ tîḟs eṗdemic n poṿti, wns sd ɖt “meḍsin z sośl sayns n poḷtics nʈñ bt meḍsin on a grand scel.” Ɖt vy hz std ɖ tst v tîm, az Britn – undr Mr. Jonsn – z fîndñ t its cost.
Ɖ scandl v a Dǎnñ Strīt parti in locdǎn rvilz smʈñ rotn at ɖ vri hart v guvnmnt
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Wenzde, 8 Dsmbr 2021
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Boris Jonsn’z c’rirpaʈ z pevd wɖ fōlshd. H wz fîrd fṛm hiz frst jrṇlizmjob fr fabṛcetñ a qot. Az a corispondnt in Bruslz, h tredd in gṛtesc Yrosceptic miʈoḷji. In 2004, h wz sact fṛm ɖ Cnsrṿtiv fruntbenć fr lîz h hd tld t Mîcl Hawd, ɖen opziśnlīdr, abt an xtṛmaṛtl afer.
In ɖ 2016 reḟrendmcampen, h msléd ɖ public ovr ɖ cost v YY membrśp. In ɖ 2019 jenṛl ilex́n, h bostd abt ɖ qoḷtiz v a Brexit dīl h nǎ wonts t rīṇgośiet. Nwn hu hz foloud ɖ prim̦inistr’z dsfuñśnl rleśnśp wɖ ɖ truʈ nǎ b’livz him ẃn h dnîz nolij v a Crisṃs parti in Dǎnñ Strīt on 18 Dsmbr 2020, in contṛvnśn v pandemic rstrix́nz.
Ɖ prim̦inistr tld MPz on Wenzde ɖt h wz “sicnd” bî vidio evidns ɖt sć an igrījs brīć v ɖ rūlz ocŕd n bî ɖ sît v hiz staf mcñ lît v it. Alegra Stratn, ɖ spocsprsn còt on camra, hz rzînd. Ɖ cabiṇtsecṛtri z dy t invstget. Mr. Jonsn clemz t śer public fyri.
Ɖt z dǎtfl. Most ppl obeid ɖ rūlz, forgowñ tîm wɖ frendz n faṃli. Mni cd nt vizit sic reḷtivz. Sm wr dnaid ɖ ćans t se férwel t dayñ luvd wnz. T nǒ smʈñ v ɖer pen ɖen, n ɖer fīlñz v btreyl nǎ, Mr. Jonsn wd hv t nǒ olso ɖ pǎr v emṗʈi n ẃt it mīnz t x’sîz prsnl rsponsbiḷti. Bt h z a strenjr t ɖoz ʈñz. Ɖe canot b alaud t impid hiz ambiśn n vaṇti.
F Mr. Jonsn’z ǎtrej wr snsir, h wd hv dmandd ɖ inqîri ẃn rports v ɖ parti frst imrjd n nt wêtd untl ɖ evidns forst hiz hand. H wd nt hv tld MPz last wīc ɖt no rūlz hd bn brocn, nr snt hiz spocs-ppl ǎt t iśu stl mor brezn dnaylz in ɖ folowñ dez. Ɖoz ranc fōlshdz nǎ hañ ovr Dǎnñ Strīt, bfǎlñ ɖ p’liticl er.
Az a jrṇlist, Mr. Jonsn wz ebl t practis dsoṇsti alon. Bt a prim̦inistr nīdz a tīm. Eḷvetñ cntmt fr ɖ truʈ intu a guṿnñ īʈos z a corpṛt enṭprîz. MPz mst hold ɖ lîn. Cabiṇtministrz r xpctd t dfnd it on teḷviźn. Ofiślz mst implimnt poḷsiz cnsivd in dfayns v gd jujmnt. Eidz mst practis misdirex́n, az wz capćrd in ɖ vidioclip ɖt plunjd Nu 10 intu ceos. Loyl srvnts r nīdd t tec ɖ rap fr ɖer bos, az Mz Stratn hz dn.
Ɖ ifct, ovr tîm, z an evr-wîḍnñ srcl v siṇsizm ɖt infcts ɖ public, c’rodñ feʈ in ɖ p’liticl proses n dgredñ ɖ ofis v prim̦inistr. Ɖ specṭcl v Mr. Jonsn lrćñ btwn dnayl n afctd cntriśn wd b uneḍfayñ in eni srcmstansz. At ɖ cuṛnt juñćr, ẃn rstrix́nz r biyñ riimpozd in Ñgḷnd, it z pṛfǎndli daṃjñ. Ɖ prim̦inistr’z brezņis in rfyzñ t adres ɖ qsćn v trust ẃn anǎnsñ ɖ ny meźrz on Wenzde īvnñ wl nt mc ɖoz qsćnz g awe.
Pandemic reğleśnz wl b impozd bî lw, bt public cmplayns ʈru ɖ wintr rqîrz wilñ aqiesns n rspct fr ofiśl wornñz. Ɖt nīdz confidns in ɖ motiv n integṛti v poḷtiśnz hu mc ɖ rūlz, plus peśns n a spirit v c’lectiv sośl rsponsbiḷti. Ɖoz cndiśnz r hard t mīt wɖ a līdr hu hz no cnspśn v proḅti n cn onli siḿlet cmpaśn. It z hard ẃn ɖ prim̦inistr z a layr.
Ɖr z a grim absrdti in ɖ prospect v an inqîri, léd bî ɖ cabiṇtsecṛtri, intu an ivnt ɖ vri xistns v ẃć hz bn dnaid bî Dǎnñ Strīt. Ɖr z no nīd fr an inqîri t unḍstand ɖ oṛjin v ɖ p’liticl crîsis ɖt ɖs parti hz trigrd. It sprñz fṛm moṛl fełr at ɖ top. It z a sindrom ɖt rediets dsoṇsti ǎtwd fṛm ɖ vri hart v guvnmnt. Ɖt sindrom hz a nem. It z Boris Jonsn.
Most v ɖ rzorsz w r dvotñ t Covid in hospitl r biyñ spent on ppl hu hv nt hd ɖer jab
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Anoniṃs, Súnde 21 Nvmbr 2021
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In hospitl, Covid-19 hz larjli bcm a dziz v ɖ unvax̣netd. Ɖ man in hiz 20z hu hd olwz woćt ẃt h ét, wrct ǎt in ɖ jim, wz tù hlʈi t evr cać Covid badli. Ɖ 48-yir-old hu nvr got rnd t mcñ ɖ apôntmnt.
Ɖ prsn in ɖer 50z huz frend hd sîd-ifcts. Ɖ wmn hu wontd t wêt fr mor evidns. Ɖ yuñ pregnnt ledi wurid abt ɖ ifct on hr bebi.
Ɖ 60-yir-old, bròt t hospitl wɖ oxijnsać̣reśnz v 70% bî ɖ ambyḷns ɖt h iniṣ́li cōld fr hiz partnr, hu hd daid bî ɖ tîm it arîvd; bʈ b’livd ɖt ɖ drugcumṗniz brîbd ɖ guvnmnt t gt ɖ vaxīn apruvd.
Ol svirli il wɖ Covid. Ol unvax̣netd n prīvịsli hlʈi. Ol cmplitli avôḍbl.
V cors, ɖr r ppl hu hv ɖer vax̣neśnz bt stl gt sic. Ɖz ppl me b eldrli or frel, or hv unḍlayñ hlʈprobḷmz. Ɖoz wɖ ilṇsz afctñ ɖ iḿnsistm, ptiklrli peśnts hu hv hd cemoʈeṛpi fr bludcansrz, r ispeṣ́li vulnṛbl. Sm unluci hlʈi ppl wl olso end p on ǎr jenṛl wordz wɖ Covid aftr biyñ vax̣netd, yẓ́li nīdñ a modist amǎnt v oxijn fr a fy dez.
Bt ɖ stori z difṛnt on ǎr intnsiv-cer ynit. Hir, ɖ peśnt popyleśn cnsists v a fy vulnṛbl ppl wɖ svir unḍlayñ hlʈprobḷmz n a mjoṛti v fit, hlʈi, yungr ppl unvax̣netd bî ćôs. Woćñ ɖ mix v peśnts cmñ in wɖ Covid, it fīlz t m lîc hardli enbdi hz bn vax̣netd nawdez; v cors, ɖs z bcz ɖ ppl ɖt hv bn vax̣netd r gtñ on wɖ ɖer lîvz at hom. F evrwn got vax̣netd, hospitlz wd b undr mć les preśr; ɖs z bynd dbet. Yr wêt fr yr clinic apôntmnt/oṗreśn/dạgnostic tst/A&I dpartmnt wd b śortr. Yr ambyḷns wd arîv snr. Rports v ɖ preśr on ɖ NHS r nt xaɉretd, I promis y.
Frɖrmr, w hv rīsntli rold ǎt a ny meḍceśn fr peśnts wɖt antibodiz agnst Covid. It costs abt £2,000 a trītmnt n z subjict t a rigṛs n tîm-cnsymñ apruvlproses fr evri ces w trīt. Ges ẃć peśnts d’nt hv ɖz antibodiz (spôlr: it’s nt ɖ wnz hu hv bn vax̣netd).
Most v ɖ rzorsz ɖt w r dvotñ t Covid in hospitl r nǎ biyñ spent on ɖ unvax̣netd.
Yes, vax̣neśnz r unpleznt. Ɖe cōz sîdifcts. Ɖe hrt. Y me īvn stl cać Covid aftwdz. I hv mni colīgz hu hv flt ōfl aftr vax̣neśn n a fy hu hd t tec a de or tū of wrc. Hvr, I hv nt hŕd v eni hu hv bn hospiṭlîzd wɖ Covid aftwdz or hu hv hd svir sîdifcts. Ɖ apruvlzproses wz increḍbli strinjnt n w nǎ hv an unḅlivbl amǎnt v riyl-wrld deta ɖt ɖz vaxīnz wrc. Ɖ sayns ɖt hz bn aplaid hir z nʈñ śort v ō-inspîrñ t m. Hvr, I riylîz ɖt nn v ɖz raṣ́nl arğmnts wd ćenj ɖ mînd v smwn hu z rzolvd agnst hvñ it, olɖo I s’poz it me pś smwn hu rmenz undisîdd.
Az a rspiṛtridoctr, I hv spent mî hol c’rir trītñ ppl huz luñ dzizz hv bn cōzd bî smocñ, includñ loñ aftr ɖe ń ɖ riscs. I hv spent cǎntlis aurz wɖ ppl hu blem ɖmslvz fr ruinñ ɖer hlʈ; I hv ʈt a lot abt ǎr prsnl rsponsbiḷti fr ǎr hlʈ n t ẃt dgri w śd b hld acǎntbl fr ǎr ćôsz. I prsṇli – unlîc sm v mî colīgz – hv nvr flt eni ambivḷns abt trītñ smocrz wɖt jujmnt in xacli ɖ sem we az ppl wɖ dzizz ɖt r nt sìn az slf-inflictd.
Inśrînd in ɖ we w pṛtct peśnts’ ōtoṇmi z ɖ recgniśn ɖt uɖrz me rīzṇbli mc dsiźnz w me si az iraśnl or roñ. W r ol products v ǎr upbrññ, edyceśn n oṗtyṇtiz, n I hv bn hyjli forćṇt ɖt in mî ces ɖz hv léd m t mc dsiźnz I valy. Hu z t se I wd’nt hv md difṛnt ćôsz in smwn els’z śuz.
Trnzletñ ɖs t ɖ ćôs nt t tec ɖ vaxīn, hvr, I fînd mî peśns wẹrñ ʈin. I ʈnc ɖs z fr a numbr v rīznz. Īvn f y r nt wurid abt yr ǒn risc fṛm Covid, y canot nǒ ɖ risc v ɖ ppl intu huz fesz y me cof; ɖr z a denjṛs n slfiś elimnt t ɖs ɖt I fînd hard t stuṃc.
Sm v mî fṛstreśn z d’rectd upwdz, at ɖ flegṛnt misinḟmeśn fluṛśñ in srtn plesz n ɖ utrli wǒfl xampl ɖt ǎr līdrz cntiny t set. I hv nvr hŕd a rīzn nt t tec ɖ vaxīn ɖt I hv agrìd wɖ. Most v ol, hvr, I am nǎ bìtn bac, xōstd, wòrn dǎn bî ɖ cntinẏs strīm v ppl ɖt w batl t trīt ẃn ɖe hv conśsli pást p ɖ oṗtyṇti t sev ɖmslvz. It dz mc m angri.
Dspt ɖs, I fînd ɖ îdīa v NHS n cer staf biyñ forst t b vax̣netd vri dificlt. I nǒ ɖt it z ɖ rît ǎtcm, bt I dslîc ɖ mīnz v brññ it abt. It z increḍbl t m ɖt ɖr z so mć añzayti n fōlshd arnd ɖt ɖs cd poṣbli b nesṣri aftr ɖ yir w hv ol witnist. Hǎ stroñ z ɖ hold ɖt ɖs inḟmeśn hz on ppl ɖt it ǎtweiz raṣ́nl ʈt?
Mbi it’s jst ɖt uɖrz hv nt sìn ẃt I hv rīsntli, or d nt b’liv it, bt īvn nǎ w hv nrsz on ǎr Covid word hu hv nt bn vax̣netd. I jst hop ɖt w d’nt end p luzñ yt mor staf.
Funḍmnṭli ɖo, fr m, it cmz dǎn t ɖs. I c’nt ʈnc v a sngl ces ofhand v a prsn hu wz prīvịsli fit n hlʈi hu hz endd p nīdñ intnsiv cer aftr biyñ fŭli vax̣netd. It me nt stop y fṛm caćñ Covid. Bt it cn sev yr lîf ẃn y d.
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• Ɖ raitr z an NHS rspiṛtricnsultnt hu wrcs acrs a numbr v hospitlz
Boris Jonsn’z formr advîzr z nt ɖ most rlaybl nretr, bt hiz dámñ acǎnt v ɖ prim̦inistr’z flwz z s’portd bî ol ɖ evidns
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26 May 2021
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A yir ago, Doṃnic Cumñz gev a presconfṛns fṛm ɖ gardn v 10 Dǎnñ Strīt t xplen ẃ h, az ɖ prim̦inistr’z most pǎrfl advîzr, śd b alaud t brīć locdǎn rūlz ẃn ordnri sitiznz wr cnfînd t ɖer homz. Hiz xpḷneśn, involvñ ɖ clem t hv tstd hiz îsît bî drîvñ wɖ hiz faṃli in ɖ car, wz feṃsli improbbl.
Ɖt episod daṃjz Mr. Cumñz’ creḍbiḷti az a witnis bfr a cmiti v MPz sīcñ t lrn lésnz fṛm ɖ guvnmnt’s hanḍlñ v ɖ pandemic. Nwn hu woćt Wenzde’z tstiṃni wz left dǎtñ ɖt h intndd t setl scorz n dvrt blem awe fṛm himslf. H apoḷjîzd fr mstecs ɖt wr md, bt az a prelyd t slfxclpeśn, īvn ovr ɖt faṃlitrip t Cǎnti Duṛm. Hiz rgret wz nt hvñ actd snr t contṛdict a privelñ guvnmnt vy last Marć ɖt ɖ vîṛs śd b alaud t run ʈru ɖ popyleśn, jeṇretñ naćṛl iḿṇti. H hd bn rît ol alñ, n śd hv forst ɖ prim̦inistr t act, h sd. Wel h wd, wd’nt h, az Mandi Rîs-Deviz mt hv obzrvd.
A slfsrvñ motiv dz nt rendr ɖ hol acǎnt inṿlid. Mć v it z c’roḅretd bî uɖr sorsz n ɖ evidns v ẃt hapnd t ɖ cuntri. Īvn ẃn it wz clir ɖt Britn wz hedñ qcli twdz ctastṛfi, ɖ prim̦inistr wz îɖr unwilñ or sîc̣lojicli unebl t tec ɖ nesṣri ax́n.
Az ɖ crîsis unfoldd, ɖs funḍmntl flw in Boris Jonsn’z caṛctr rīsrfist az ɖ cōz v cnfyźn, dle n, bî xtnśn, uņesṣri deʈ. Mr. Cumñz rports ɖt ɖ prim̦inistr lîcs “ceos” az a mod v guvnmnt bcz it forsz uɖrz t awêt hiz arbtreśn, ɖr-bî bolsṭrñ hiz pǎr. Ɖt z cnsistnt wɖ uɖr acǎnts v Mr. Jonsn’z modus operandi: mntenñ a dlibṛtli wìc cabiṇt, contṛdictñ himslf, mcñ fōls public stetmnts, mcñ poḷsi cmitmnts wn de n U-trnñ ɖ nxt, pṛcrasṭnetñ ẃl ɖ opśnz naro. Ɖt tmpṛmntl inadiqsi wd b probḷmatic undr norml srcmstansz. Jrñ a pandemic, it hz pruvd līʈl.
Sm v ɖ wrst felñz v guvnmnt wr, no dǎt, cmpǎndd bî mīdiocṛti n a lac v ajiḷti ʈrt Ẃîthōl. Mr. Cumñz z rît t rêz ɖ alarm abt a sivl cntinjnsiz aṗreṭs ɖt xistd t cǒp wɖ rer imrjnsiz n feld t pform ɖt wn besic fuñśn ẃn rqîrd. Ɖ ʈret v a pandemic hd bn noun fr yirz, yt ɖ guvnmnt faund itslf mcñ p ɖ plan az it wnt alñ.
Fr ol ɖ sstemic unredinis n alejd dsoṇsti v cabiṇtministrz, ɖ sntṛl probḷm – ɖ brocn pìs in ɖ mśīn ɖt esc̣letd evri haẓd intu a dzastr – wz ɖ man huz job it wz t līd. No cuntri wnt intu ɖ pandemic fŭli priperd. Ol hd t impṛvîz rsponsz n lrn fṛm evidns az it imrjd. Mr. Jonsn feld t d ɖt, nt jst at ɖ start, bt ʈrt last yir.
Britn hz sufrd wn v ɖ hîist p’ capita deʈtolz in ɖ wrld nt onli bcz its orgnz v stet wr unredi, bt bcz its prim̦inistr wz unfit. Mr. Cumñz z nt ɖ most rlaybl nretr v ivnts in ẃć h pleid a crūśl rǒl. Yt ɖ picćr h pents v a prim̦inistr lacñ ɖ jujmnt n caṛctr t naṿget ɖ crîsis taliz wɖ a Dǎnñ Strīt specṭcl ɖt ɖ cuntri witnist last yir, lrćñ fṛm panic t cmplesnsi n bac agn – “a śopñtroli smaśñ btwn ailz.” Tstiṃni fṛm a man at ɖ vri hart v ɖt dzastr mt wel b skd bî vndeta, bt it olso cntenz frîtnñli plōẓbl insît intu ɖ we Britn z guvnd. Ɖ fl picćr wl imrj onli in tîm, bt sm jujmnts r olrdi aveḷbl best on noun facts. “Tnz v ʈǎzndz v ppl daid hu dd’nt nīd t dî,” Mr. Cumñz sd. Trajicli, it wz ɖ truʈ.
Jair Bolsonaro’z pvrs n “jeṇsîdl” rspons t wn v ɖ wrld’z dedliist Covid ǎtbrecs hz left Bṛzil “adrift on an ośn v hungr n dziz”, ɖ cuntri’s formr prezidnt Dilma Rousseff hz clemd.
Spīcñ t ɖ Gardịn ɖs wīc – az Bṛzil’z c’roṇvîṛs deʈtol hit devstetñ ny hîts, wɖ mor ɖn 12,000 deʈs in ɖ last ʈri dez – Rousseff sd hr cuntri fest phps ɖ grevist momnt in its hisṭri.
“W r livñ ʈru an xtrimli dṛmatic sićueśn in Bṛzil bcz w hv no guvnmnt, no stywdśp v ɖ crîsis,” sd Rousseff, a formr leftist g’ríla hu wz prezidnt fr jst ovr fîv yirz untl hr contṛvrśl 2016 impićmnt.
“W r siyñ 4,200 deʈs p’ de nǎ n evrʈñ sjsts ɖt f nʈñ ćenjz w’l rīć 5,000… Yt ɖr z an abṣlutli rpulsiv norṃlîześn v ɖs riaḷti undr we. Hǎ cn y norṃlîz ɖ 4,211 deʈs rejistrd [on Tyzde]?” Rousseff asct az Bṛzil’z ofiśl deʈtol rouz t ovr 345,000, secnd onli t ɖ YS.
Bṛzil’z frst fīmel prezidnt, lîc a growñ numbr v sitiznz, b’livz mć v ɖ blem le wɖ Bolsonaro, a far-rît popylist huz antisạntific rspons t ẃt h cōlz a “litl flu” hz md him an inṭnaśnl bôgiman. Opińnpoulz n potbaññ protests sjst growñ public angr at ɖ Trump-admîrñ poḷtiśn hu wz ilectd in 2018 aftr Rousseff’z mntr, formr prezidnt Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, wz jeld n privntd fṛm runñ bî a juj hu lêtr jônd Bolsonaro’z cabiṇt.
Rousseff clemd Bolsonaro’z saḅtājñ v cntenmnt n vax̣neśn eḟts, rfyzl t ordr a locdǎn n fełr t ofr adiqt ic̣nomic s’port t ɖ pur hd cntribytd t a traɉdi v “caṭstrofic pṛporśnz”.
“I’m nt seyñ Bṛzil wd’nt hv sufrd deʈs [wɖ a difṛnt rspons] – ol cuntriz dd,” ś sd. “I’m seyñ ɖt part v ɖ levl v deʈs hir z funḍmnṭli dǎn t inc̣rect p’liticl dsiźnz, ẃć r stl biyñ tecn.”
Bṛzil’z brecdǎn wz olso an inṭnaśnl ʈret. “Ɖ absns v an ifctiv fît agnst ɖ pandemic [in Bṛzil] līdz t smʈñ xtrimli sirịs: ɖ imrjns v ɖ so-cōld ny verịnts, ẃć r hîli infx́s n hv incrist ɖ numbr v deʈs in neḅrñ cuntriz,” Rousseff sd, pôntñ t hǎ Sǎʈ Americn nebrz wr clozñ ɖer bordrz fr fir v ɖ mor cntejs P1 verịnt linct t Bṛzil’z Aṃzn.
Mni critics nǎ argy Bolsonaro’z ax́nz amǎnt t “jeṇsîd” – n Rousseff sd ś wz amñ ɖm.
“I yz ɖt wrd. Ẃt caṛcṭrîzz ɖ act v jeṇsîd z ẃn y ple a dlibṛt rǒl in ɖ deʈ v a popyleśn on a masiv scel,” ɖ 73-yir-old sd fṛm hr hom in Porto Alegre, wn v mni sitiz ẃr hospitlz hv bn oṿẃlmd n doctrz forst t ple God.
“It’s nt ɖ wrd [jeṇsîd] ɖt inṭrests m – it’s ɖ consept. N ɖ consept z ɖs: rsponsbiḷti fr deʈs ɖt cd hv bn avôdd.”
On Ʈrzde, Bṛzil’z s’prīm cort ordrd a cngreśnl invstgeśn intu ɖ guvnmnt’s conduct – a śocmuv ɖt xprts cōld a mejr blo t Bolsonaro, hu stl injôz ɖ s’port v abt a ʈrd v votrz bt fesz record levlz v rjx́n.
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Bolsonaro in Marć. Bṛzil’z ofiśl deʈtol z mor ɖn 345,000. Foṭgraf: Ueslei Marcelino/Rôtrz
Bṛzil’z dzastr – ẃć z biyñ trboćarjd bî ɖ P1 verịnt – z xpctd t dīpn frɖr in ɖ cmñ dez. Mor ɖn 66,000 Bṛziłn lîvz wr lost t Covid in Marć. Epril’z deʈtol z xpctd t xid 100,000. On Frîde ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn sīńr advîzr Brūs Êlẉd cōld ɖ ǎtbrec “a rejñ infrno”.
“It’s despṛt. T b onist, I c’nt slīp proprli. I g t bed wɖ ɖz numbrz n siḿleśnz in mî hed n I jst c’nt ʈnc stret,” sd Miguel Nicolelis, a prominnt sayntist huz grim pṛjx́nz abt ɖ ǎtbrec hv rpitidli bn cnfrmd.
“Ɖ YS hd wn de wɖ mor ɖn 5,000 deʈs n w’r gwñ t oṿtec ɖ YS – in ɖ numbr v dêli deʈs n probbli in ɖ totl numbr v ftaḷtiz tù,” Nicolelis pridictd.
“W’r gwñ t start siyñ bodiz pîlñ p in ǎr hlʈclinics n ppl dayñ in ɖ strīts sn in ɖ bigist siti in Bṛzil,” h sd v São Paulo, cōlñ fr a wn-munʈ neśnwîd locdǎn n ɖ cloźr v rodz, erports n rivrz.
Rousseff olso rjd an imīɉt śutdǎn, olɖo Bolsonaro hz rpitidli rjctd ɖt îdīa, apaṛntli firñ it wd cripl ɖ icoṇmi n hiz hops v riilex́n in 2022. “Ɖr wl b no neśnwîd locdǎn,” Bolsonaro insistd jrñ a trip t suɖn Bṛzil ɖs wīc.
Spīcñ ǎtsd hiz rezidns on Tyzde, Bolsonaro, 66, śrugd of criṭsizm. “[I’v bn cōld] hoṃfobic, resist, fasist, a torćrr … Nǎ I’m jeṇsîdl,” h smrct. “Z ɖr enʈñ I’m nt t blem fr in Bṛzil?”
Rousseff agrìd Bolsonaro wz nt ɖ onli culprit fr ɖ Covid c’laṃti śecñ hr cuntri, n ɖ wrld. Ś olso blemd ɖ ic̣nomic ilits, militri ćīfs, mīdịmǒglz n poḷtiśnz hu hlpt ɖ rîtwñ xtrimist win pǎr bî bacñ hr rmuvl fṛm ofis n ɖen ćirñ Lula’z dǎnfōl n Bolsonaro’z rîz. Wrldlīdrz includñ Doṇld Trump hd olso handld ɖ pandemic dzastṛsli.
“Ppl wl hv t b hld rsponsbl fr ɖ ctastṛfi ɖt hz bn enɉnird in Bṛzil,” Rousseff sd, ćartñ its cuṛnt tribyleśnz bac t hr sspnśn fṛm ofis xacli fîv yirz ago fr alejidli mnipyletñ ɖ bujit t masc ic̣nomic mleiz.
“Bolsonaro z a product v ɖs… orijinl sin: ɖ impićmnt,” ś sd v ẃt hr s’portrz cōl a p’liticli-drivn “cù”.
On Súnde 16 Epril 2016, Bolsonaro, ɖen an obskr congresmn, wz wn v 367 depytiz hu apruvd Rousseff’z impićmnt jrñ an unrūli seśn in ẃć h dedcetd hiz vot t a dictetrśp-ira torćrr hu oṿsw ɖ abys v leftist reblz sć az hr.
Bac ɖen, Rousseff sd ś hd nvr imajind Bolsonaro wd wn de bcm prezidnt. Nr cd ś invizij Bṛzil fesñ tde’z imrjnsi undr mor inadiqt līdrśp. “Ɖ riaḷti z wrs ɖn enʈñ I cd hv poṣbli imajind. It’s az f w’r adrift. W r adrift on an ośn v hungr n dziz… It trūli z an utrli xtrim sićueśn ɖt w’r witṇsñ in Bṛzil.”
It hz loñ bn rgardd az a soft-pǎr sūṗpǎr, ɖ sún-cist, culćṛli blest land v Bossa Nova, Capoeira n Pelé.
Bt Bṛzil’z śambolic rspons t c’roṇvîṛs undr far-rît prezidnt Jair Bolsonaro hz cast Latin America’z larjist cuntri in an unfmiłr n unpleznt rǒl: ɖt v a Covid-ridld, sayns-śunñ, p’liticli unstebl ǎtcast on hūm mni rījnl nebrz r nǎ śutñ ɖ dor.
“Ɖ uɖr de I sw a priti stroñ articl seyñ Bṛzil wz startñ t b sìn bî its nebrz az a sort v leprcoḷni … n it’s probbli tru,” cnsidd Ricardo Ricupero, a vetṛn Bṛziłn dipḷmat hu qotd Jozif Conrad, nt João Gilberto, t dscrîb hiz cuntri’z pridic̣mnt.
“Ɖ horr! Ɖ horr!” ɖ rtîrd ambasdr l’mntd last wīc, bfr hiz cuntri wz plunjd intu frɖr p’liticl trbyḷns bî Bolsonaro’z unixpctd sacñ v ɖ dfnsministr. “Bṛzil z in ɖ hart v darcnis.”
Bṛzil’z nebrz, hu r nǎ scramḅlñ t rspond t ɖ meltdǎn nxt dor, sīm t agri, wɖ Arjntīna, C’lumbia n P’ru banñ flîts t ɖer Porćgīz-spīcñ nebr, n Veṇzwela’z līdr, Nicolás Maduro, b’retñ hiz rîtwñ rîvl ovr a c’laṃti ɖt hz cild mor ɖn 300,000 Bṛziłnz.
“It’s alarmñ, īvn dstresñ, t si ɖ rports ǎt v São Paulo n Rio … n ɖ reclis attyd v ɖ Trumpist Bṛziłn rît n Jair Bolsonaro twdz ɖ ppl v Bṛzil,” Maduro dclerd last wīc az h ordrd a 14-de locdǎn t cǎntr ɖ mor cntejs P1 verịnt at ɖ hart v globl firz ovr Bṛzil’z unćect ǎtbrec.
“Bṛzil nǎ repriznts a ʈret t ɖ wrld. N huz fōlt z it? Jair Bolsonaro’z,” Maduro pṛclemd, jabñ hiz indx fngr intu ɖ er. “It’s jst madnis. Ɖr’z no nem fr it.”
Sevn ʈǎznd ciloṃtrz sǎʈ v Caracas, in Yṛḡî, ɖr r sînz v similr alarm, wɖ oʈoṛtiz rêsñ t vax̣net rezidnts v its bordŗījn wɖ Bṛzil. “Ɖ îdīa z t criet an eṗdīmịlojicl śīld,” sd Rodni Colina, a guvnmnt Covid advîzr n vroḷjist hu dtctd Yṛḡî’z frst P1 cesz n hz bn cōlñ fr tuf rstrix́nz t stop its spred. “F w start siyñ P1 srklet wîdli w’d nīd t g fr a totl cloźr v olmst evrʈñ,” Colina wornd.
Clos t 60,000 Bṛziłnz r xpctd t dî in Marć alon, mcñ it bî far ɖ most dedli munʈ v Bṛzil’z 13-munʈ eṗdemic.
In Arjntīna, tù, slīp z biyñ lost ovr ɖ mêhem. A grūp v līdñ Arjntinịn sayntists rīsntli pénd an opn letr implorñ ɖer guvnmnt t cloz its 761-mîl landbordr wɖ Bṛzil.
“Bṛzil z a mirr w wd rɖr nt hv t lc intu. Ɖt’s ẃ it’s so importnt t impoz travl rstrix́nz stret awe bcz wns cntejnz start t rîz it wl b tù lêt,” sd Humberto Debat, an Arjntinịn bîoḷjist hu hlpt pṛdys ɖ apil, ẃć cndemd Bolsonaro’z “irisponsbl n dnaylist” bhevyr.
Last Ʈrzde, az Bṛzil rcordd mor ɖn 100,000 Covid-19 cesz in a sngl de fr ɖ frst tîm, Arjntīna anǎnst it wd ban flîts fṛm Bṛzil, Ćíli n Mx̣co. Soledad Retamar, a staṭstiśn wrcñ on Covid deta hu bacs sć muvz, sd: “Ɖ fir z ɖt w cd start siyñ ɖ cnd v mortaḷtirets ɖe hd in Manaus rlịr ɖs yir f ɖ P1 verịnt starts srkletñ in Arjntīna.”
C’lumbịn ofiślz bánd flîts fṛm Bṛzil in Jańri az wel az hōltñ intrnl flîts t ɖ Aṃzn bordr tǎn v Leticia, ẃr iḿnîześn eḟts r tarġtñ yungr adults in an atmt t bloc ɖ spred v ɖ P1 verịnt. Ana Mauad, an inṭnaśnl-rleśnz pṛfesr at Bogotá’z Javeriana Yṇvrṣti, sd Bolsonaro’z “cmplit lac v straṭji n mshanḍlñ v ɖ pandemic” hd śoct ɖ rījn.
“Bolsonaro hz manijd t trn Bṛzil intu a jîgantic helhoul,” C’lumbia’z formr prezidnt Ernesto Samper twītd last wīc, az ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn admitd “ɖ dîr sićueśn” in Bṛzil wz nǎ afctñ its nebrz.
Bolsonaro’z admiṇstreśn hz riactd ōcẉdli t ɖ cōṛs v inṭnaśnl criṭsizm.
“I ʈnc ɖs z … teṛbli unjust,” Bṛzil’z pro-Trump foṛn ministr, Ernesto Araújo, tld ɖ Estado de São Paulo nyzpepr rlịr ɖs munʈ. Araújo, hu rzînd on Munde aftr a rbełn fṛm dipḷmats n lwmecrz hu akz him v hlpñ traś Bṛzil’z inṭnaśnl repyteśn, rjctd ɖ îdīa ɖt ɖr wz enʈñ “ǎt v cntrol” in hiz cuntri n clemd Bṛzil wz ɖ victim v “dscriṃneśn”.
“It’s az f … ppl r onli dayñ in Bṛzil,” Bolsonaro grumbld last wīc.
Ricupero sd ɖr wz no hîdñ ɖt hiz Sǎʈ Americn cuntri hd bcm ɖ pandemic’s “abṣlut eṗsntr” n pridictd rījnl rstrix́nz wd incris in ɖ cmñ wīcs in cuntriz sć az B’livia, C’lumbia n P’ru.
Ɖ sumz r so vast, ɖ sīcṛsi so śocñ, ɖt “ćumocṛsi” dz’nt bgin t capćr ẃt Britn hz bcm – reḍḷnt az w r v bnana rpublics, ɖ Ruśn oḷgarci n feld stets. Lost z Britn’z slf-imij az ɖ bolr-hatd bīcn v sivic recttyd, az ǎr rstẃl Rolz-Rôs sivl srvis gz ɖ we v, wel, Rolz-Rôs, no longr a Britiś-ǒnd carcumṗni.
Ɖ Gd Lw Project, ɖ admṛbl nt-fr-profit public clenzr, last wīc pruvd in ɖ hî cort ɖt ɖ guvnmnt hd brīćt ẃt ɖ juj cōld ɖ “vîtl public fuñśn” v trnspaṛnsi ovr “vast qonttiz” v taxpeyrz’ muni. A VIP fast len fr pṛtctiv-iqipmnt contracts md ɖ contacts v ministrz, MPz, pirz n ofiślz 10 tîmz mor lîcli t win contracts. PPI prîsz scîrocitd: īvn bodibagz wr biyñ ćarjd at 14 tîmz ɖer prīvịs cost. Ɖ Gd Lw Project’s dmandz fr pubḷceśn v ɖoz fevrd s’playrz, ɖer VIP sponsrz n prîsz peid hv bn dnaid so far.
Ẃ ɖ sīcṛsi? Ɖ Gardịn hz olrdi rvild ɖt ɖ medicl reğletr z invstgetñ Alix Bōrn, hlʈ secṛtri Mát Hancoc’s xnebr, hu wún £30m v wrc pṛdysñ medicl vaylz, dspt hvñ no xpirịns in ɖ fīld.
In ɖ panic ovr emti PPI ślvz in hospitlz n cerhomz, ɖt daś t pṛkr mt b fgivn wr it nt ɖt fevrz t frendz z ɖ evride modus operandi fr Boris Jonsn. Bt bfr a liṭni v hiz sivic śem, pōz hir t injô ɖs, ɖ fōrwrd h rout t ɖ miṇstirịl cod: “Ɖr mst b no bŭliyñ n no haṛsmnt; no līcñ; no brīć v c’lectiv rsponsbiḷti. No msys v taxpeyr muni n no acćl or psivd conflicts v inṭrest. Ɖ preśs prínsiplz v public lîf inśrînd in ɖs dokmnt – integṛti, objctivti, acǎntbiḷti, trnspaṛnsi, oṇsti n līdrśp in ɖ public inṭrest – mst b onrd at ol tîmz; az mst ɖ p’liticl imparśiaḷti v ǎr mć admîrd sivl srvis.” Ha!
Alix Aḷn flt it imposbl t ste on az ɖ prim̦inistr’z ofiśl advîzr on ɖt cod, aftr hiz fîndñ agnst ɖ homsecṛtri, Priti Ptel, fr bŭliyñ wz rjctd. Nr cd Joṇʈn Jǒnz rmen az prṃnnt secṛtri t ɖ guvnmnt līgl dpartmnt ẃl Jonsn brouc inṭnaśnl lw wɖ ɖ intrnl-marcit bil. Oltgɖr, undr Jonsn six prṃnnt secṛtriz hv gn – nt so prṃnnt in ɖs reźīm.
Ɖ Gd Lw Project nǎ olso sīcs a jdiśl rvy intu ɖ Gardịn’z reṿleśn v a £564,000 contract fr opińnpoulñ, gvn wɖt tndr t Doṃnic Cumñz’ clos ćum Rećl Wlf, hu corout ɖ 2019 Tori parti maṇfsto. Ẃt an îṛni ɖt in hr Dǎnñ Strīt dez ś pland fr ol sivl srvnts t fes constnt xamz t gard agnst a culćr ẃr “evrwn rîzz t ɖer pziśn v incompitns”. Yt ś wz pt t no tst, nt īvn besic tnḍrñ fr a fat contract.
Ɖ Súnde Tîmz rvilz ɖt Lord Udni-Listr, az depyti mẹr v Lundn undr Jonsn, hlpt apruv £4bn v proṗtiscīmz fr dveḷprz – n wɖn munʈs v līvñ ofis wnt on t wrc fr ɖm. Az Dǎnñ Strīt stṛtījic advîzr last yir, h steid on ɖer pêrolz, ɖo ɖs wz in cmplayns wɖ codz v conduct.
In a blast at Tōriz “rîf wɖ conflicts v inṭrest”, Rećl Rīvz, ɖ śado cabiṇt-ofis ministr, md a “sác Srco” plej ɖt Lebr wd rtrn prîṿt contracts t ɖ public sectr. Yt it sīmz nʈñ śemz ɖs guvnmnt. Ɖ Naśnl Ōdit Ofis z a fîn insttyśn fr ćecñ on fnanśl integṛti n valy fr muni. Bt, ɖo it faund ɖt biznis ǒnrz wɖ p’liticl tîz t ɖ Tōriz wr gvn hî-prîoṛti steṭs ovr pandemic contracts, it hz no mśīṇri t fors a guvnmnt ɖt dz’nt gv a dám t act on ɖz fîndñz. Ẃć līvz ɖ public-spiṛtd crǎdfundrz v ɖ Gd Lw Project az a last stand agnst c’lapsñ sivic integṛti. Olɖo, az Hancoc tld ɖ BBC’z Andru Mar, h dz’nt īvn cer ɖt h’z brocn ɖ lw.
Ɖ cmiśnr fr public apôntmnts, Pītr Ridél, ol tù rerli mcs public protests, bt rīsntli h rouz p agnst “unreğletd apôntmnts”, sć az ɖt v Tori pir Dîdo Hardñ t hed ɖ ceotic tst-n-tres program. Last wīc ɖ hlʈ dpartmnt’s ǒn evidns śoud ɖ £22bn ś hz spent hd hd a “reḷtivli smōl” ifct. Ridél olso pṛtstd agnst stact inṭvy panlz: utrli unqoḷfaid xTori MP Jemz Ẃartn wz apôntd hed v ɖ Ofis fr Stydnts bî a s’lex́npanl dvôd v hayr-edyceśn xprts.
For nonixektiv d’rectrz apôntd az “indpndnts” t oṿsi Mîcl Gov’z Cabiṇt Ofis r ol Gov alîz, includñ Gīẓla Stywt v hiz Vot Līv clan. Acordñ t a rīsnt srve, mor ɖn haf v ol dīpartmntl-bōrd apôntmnts, far fṛm biyñ indipndnt ǎtsîdrz, r speśl advîzrz n clos p’liticl alîz.
Ridél lobd a wornñ at brīfñz ɖt ɖ Ofcom ćer wl g t ɖ formr Meil editr-in-ćīf Pōl Dêcr, a man rebidli bayst agnst ɖ BBC, jujz, Yṛp n mîgṛnts, t nem jst a fy. Ćanslr Riśi Sŭnac’s gd ćum, ɖ Tori donr Rićd Śarp, wz md BBC ćer. Ẃ no invstgeśn intu cḿṇtizsecṛtri Roḅt Jenric’s impropr iniśl inṭvnśn t hlp Tori donr Rićd Dezmnd avôd tax ovr a £1bn planñbid? Nt onli ɖs, bt pacñ ɖ Lordz wɖ donrz z ɖ Putinesc ny norml.
Nt sins ɖ 1853 Norʈcot-Tṛvełn sivl srvis rformz hz a guvnmnt so impydntli n dfayntli ignord apôntmntsprínsiplz. Hd Lebr cmitd eni v ɖz ǎtrejz, ɖ Tori pres wd hv hǎndd it t deʈ. Rmembr Jenifr Arcuri, Jonsn’z “clos frend”, gvn £100,000 fṛm hiz Lundn meṛl fund n invîtd on ptnṣ́li lūcṛtiv tredmiśnz? Ɖ Indipndnt Ofis fr P’līs Conduct faund ɖt ɖ ofisrz mcñ dsiźnz on sponsrśp n tred miśnz ń v ɖs rleśnśp, “n ɖs inflụnst ɖer dsiźn-mcñ”. Imajin f ɖt wr Cir Starmr.
Clīn dmocṛsiz r dfînd bî hǎ wel ɖe gard agnst ɖer līdrz feṿrñ faṃli n frendz. Bt ɖ esns v ćumocṛsi runz far dīpr. Ppl instñtivli apônt ɖer ǒn cnd: “merit” tndz t b spotd onli in ɖoz hu tōc, ʈnc n b’liv lîc ɖoz dwñ ɖ ćuzñ. In a wîld blog, Doṃnic Cumñz pritndd t brec ǎt v ɖs stretjacit, cōlñ fr “sūpr-talntd wirdoz” wɖ “jenyin cogṇtiv dvrṣti”. Bt no, hiz ramḅlñ job ad rqîrd īc̣nomics grajụts wɖ “an ǎtstandñ record at a gret yṇvrṣti”: h wz a prins amñ trîbl ćum’pôntrz.
Brecñ ɖ spirit v fevṛtizm z f’rośsli hard: ẃn I wz at ɖ BBC, a vałnt atmt wz md t rcrūt rw taḷnt ǎtsd top grajụts wɖ maṇkrd hinṭlandz. Adz, līflits n noṭsz wr postd in herdresrz, pubz, McDoṇld’z, moscs, tmplz n on busz: no nem, edyceśn or xpirịns, jst rait t s wɖ yr program îdīaz. Ʈǎzndz aplaid.
Ẃn ɖz hd bn ẃitld dǎn t 30, ɖ dis’pôntd s’lectrz faund ɖe hd mnli pict îdnticl top grajụt tîps. Bî instñt, unconśsli, ɖe ćouz ɖ cnd hu rout lîc ɖm, ʈt lîc ɖm. Unconśs-bays corsz hlp s unḍstand inbilt preɉdisz, bt iradcetñ it fṛm dīp wɖn z far hardr.
Dy proses in public apôntmnts matrz nt jst fr gd guvnmnt, bt bcz it sets a bnćmarc v fer implômnt. Neṗtizm stncs az badli az awordñ contracts t VIP palz: gloriyñ in bʈ, ɖ guvnmnt, rotñ fṛm ɖ hed, spredz ɖ stenć v c’rupśn ʈru evrʈñ it tućz.
Fṛm ɖ onset v ɖ Covid-19 pandemic olmst wn yir ago, it wz clir ɖt ǎr wrld fest far mor ɖn a public-hlʈ imrjnsi. Ɖ bigist inṭnaśnl crîsis in jeṇreśnz qcli morft intu an ic̣nomic n sośl crîsis. Wn yir on, anɖr starc fact z trajicli evidnt: ǎr wrld z fesñ a pandemic v hymn-rîts abysz.
Covid-19 hz dīpnd priixistñ dvîdz, vulnṛbiḷtiz n iniqoḷtiz, n opnd p ny fracćrz, includñ fōltlînz in hymn rîts. Ɖ pandemic hz rvild ɖ inṭcnctidnis v ǎr hymn faṃli – n v ɖ fl spectṛm v hymn rîts: sivl, culćṛl, ic̣nomic, p’liticl n sośl. Ẃn enwn v ɖz rîts z undr atac, uɖrz r at risc.
Ɖ vîṛs hz ʈrîvd bcz poṿti, dscriṃneśn, ɖ dstrux́n v ǎr naćṛl invîrnmnt n uɖr hymn rîts fełrz hv crietd inorṃs fṛjiḷtiz in ǎr ssaytiz. Ɖ lîvz v hundṛdz v miłnz v faṃliz hv bn trnd upsîd-dǎn – wɖ lost jobz, cruśñ dét n stīp fōlz in incm.
Frunt-lîn wrcrz, ppl wɖ dis’biḷtiz, oldr ppl, wimin, grlz n mnoṛtiz hv bn ispeṣ́li hard hit. In a matr v munʈs, progres on jndr iqoḷti hz bn set bac decedz. Most isnśl frunt-lîn wrcrz r wimin, n in mni cuntriz r ofn fṛm reṣ́li n eʈnicli marjṇlîzd grūps.
Most v ɖ incrist brdn v cer in ɖ hom z tecn on bî wimin. Vayḷns agnst wimin n grlz in ol formz hz roc̣td, fṛm onlîn abys t dmestic vayḷns, traf̣cñ, sx́l xplôteśn n ćîldmarij.
Xtrim poṿti z rîzñ fr ɖ frst tîm in decedz. Yuñ ppl r struġlñ, ǎt v scūl n ofn wɖ liṃtd axes t tecnoḷji.
Ɖ lêtist moṛl ǎtrej z ɖ fełr t enśur eqti in vax̣neśn ef̣ts. Jst 10 cuntriz hv administrd mor ɖn 75% v ol Covid-19 vaxīnz. Mnẃl, mor ɖn 130 cuntriz hv nt rsivd a sngl dos.
F ɖ vîṛs z alaud t spred lîc wîldfîr in parts v ɖ globl sǎʈ, it wl ḿtet agn n agn. Ny verịnts cd bcm mor trnzmisbl, mor dedli n ptnṣ́li ʈretn ɖ ifctivnis v cuṛnt vaxīnz n dạgnostics. Ɖs cd pṛloñ ɖ pandemic sgnificntli, ineḅlñ ɖ vîṛs t cm bac t pleg ɖ globl norʈ – n dle ɖ wrld’z ic̣nomic rcuṿri.
Ɖ vîṛs z olso infctñ p’liticl n sivl rîts, n frɖr śrincñ sivic spes. Yzñ ɖ pandemic az a prītxt, oʈoṛtiz in sm cuntriz hv dploid hevi-handd s’kṛti-rsponsz n imrjnsimeźrz t cruś dsnt, crimiṇlîz besic frīdmz, sîḷns indipndnt rportñ n rstrict ɖ activtiz v nongovnmntl orġnîześnz.
Hymn-rîts dfndrz, jrṇlists, loyrz, p’liticl acṭvists – īvn medicl pṛfeśnlz – hv bn dtend, proṣktd n sbjctd t intiṃdeśn n sveḷns fr criṭsîzñ guvnmnt-rsponsz t ɖ pandemic. Pandemic-rletd rstrix́nz hv bn yzd t sbvrt ilectṛl prosesz n wìcn opziśnvôsz.
At tîmz, axes t lîf-sevñ Covid-19 inf̣meśn hz bn cnsild ẃl dedli misinf̣meśn hz bn ampḷfaid – īvn bî ɖoz in pǎr.
Xtrimists – includñ ẃît sūpreṃsists n nioNatsiz – hv xplôtd ɖ pandemic t būst ɖer rancs ʈru sośl poḷrîześn n p’liticl n culćṛl mnipyleśn.
Ɖ pandemic hz olso md pīs ef̣ts mor dificlt, cnstrenñ ɖ abiḷti t conduct ngośieśnz, xaṣbetñ hymaṇterịn nīdz n unḍmainñ progres on uɖr conflict-rletd hymn-rîts ćaḷnjz.
Covid-19 hz riinforst tū funḍmntl truɖz abt hymn rîts. Frst, hymn-rîts vạleśnz harm s ol. Secnd, hymn rîts r yṇvrsl n pṛtct s ol.
An ifctiv rspons t ɖ pandemic mst b best on soḷdaṛti n cooṗreśn. Dvîsiv aproćz, oʈoṛterịnizm n naśṇlizm mc no sns agnst a globl ʈret. Wɖ ɖ pandemic śînñ a spotlît on hymn rîts, rcuṿri pṛvîdz an oṗtyṇti t jeṇret m’mntm fr transfmeśn. T s’xid, ǎr aproćz mst hv a hymn-rîts lénz.
Ɖ ssteṇbl-dveḷpmnt golz – ẃć r unḍpind bî hymn rîts – pṛvîd ɖ fremwrc fr mor inclūsiv n ssteṇbl icoṇmiz n ssaytiz, includñ ɖ impeṛtiv v hlʈcer fr evrwn.
Ɖ rcuṿri mst olso rspct ɖ rîts v fyćr jeṇreśnz, inhansñ clîṃt ax́n t aćiv carbnńtraḷti bî 2050 n pṛtctñ bîoḍvrṣti. Mî Cōl t Ax́n fr Hymn Rîts spelz ǎt ɖ sntṛl rǒl v hymn rîts in crîsis-rspons, jndr iqoḷti, public ptiṣpeśn, clîṃtjustis n ssteṇbl dveḷpmnt.
Ɖs z nt a tîm t nglect hymn rîts; it z a tîm ẃn, mor ɖn evr, hymn rîts r nīdd t naṿget ɖs crîsis in a we ɖt wl alǎ s t ziro in on aćivñ inclūsiv n ssteṇbl dveḷpmnt n lastñ pīs.
W r ol in ɖs tgɖr. Ɖ vîṛs ʈretnz evrwn. Hymn rîts uplift evrwn. Bî rspctñ hymn rîts in ɖs tîm v crîsis, w wl bild mor ifctiv n eqtbl s’luśnz fr ɖ imrjnsi v tde n ɖ rcuṿri fr tmoro.
I am cnvinst it z poṣbl – f w r dtrmind n wrc tgɖr.
It wz anǎnst last wīc, t nbdi’s xîtmnt, ɖt Sr Ceniʈ Brana wl tec ɖ rǒl v Boris Jonsn in a Scî TV drama abt ɖ frst wīcs v ɖ pandemic. F Brana’z castñ inḍcets ɖt ɖs z t b cnsivd az a Śecspirịn traɉdi, wɖ Jonsn in ɖ līd, ɖen it wd sīm dūmd fṛm ɖ start. Ɖ clasic trajic hiro hz jst a sngl fetl caṛctr flw ɖt pruvz hiz unduwñ. Wɖ Jonsn, ẃr d y start?
Az an oṗnñsīn in ɖt drama, it wl, enhǎ, b hard t bìt ɖ spīć ɖt ɖ prim̦inistr gev olmst xacli a yir ago – phps ɖ last momnt in ẃć h fondli imajind ɖt ol ɖ wrld le bfr him. Ɖ spīć, dlivrd in ɖ grand srǎndñz v Crisṭfr Rén’z Old Royl Nevl Colij at Grenij on 3 Febrri 2020, set ǎt hiz viźn fr a buc̣nirñ globl Britn, hî on yńnflagz n fri tred. Jonsn hd nt loñ rtrnd fṛm hiz post-ilex́n bīćfrolics in Mstīc wɖ Cári Simndz. Brexit hd fîṇli bn “dn” in Parḷmnt Sqer ʈri nîts rlịr. No opziśn trubld hiz hrîzn. Lebr wz līdrlis; Farāź pôntlis. Īvn Mîcl Gove, hiz limp-dagrd Brūṭs, hd bn cooptd t ɖ cōz.
Az h baṛld on t ɖ stej at Grenij ɖrfr, ruf̣lñ hiz her, śuf̣lñ hiz nots, hiz frst act wz t asc hiz cerf̣li s’lectd biznis ōdịns – stricli no Rmenr “glūmstrz n dūmstrz” alaud – t rêz ɖer îz t ɖ vōltd sīlñ n srve ɖ ḿṛl abv ɖer hedz. Sr Jemz Ʈornhil’z b’roc mastrpìs, Ɖ Trîumf v Liḅti n Pīs ovr Tiṛni, dpictd Wiłm III n Mẹri II inʈrond aftr ɖer ǒn “Glorịs Reṿluśn” n srǎndd, in Jonsn’z îz, bî “wel-féd nimfs n kpidz n ẃt hv y”. Ɖs, sd Jonsn, slejhaṃrñ ɖ simḅlizm, marct “ɖ setlmnt v a loñ n dvîsiv p’liticl qsćn abt hu gts t sit on ɖ ʈron”. It wz a momnt v “s’prīm naśnl slf-confidns”, h sjstd, wɖ ɖ YC “on ɖ slipwe” v globl ic̣nomic dominns. “Tde, f w gt it rît, ɖs cn b anɖr sć momnt.”
Hybris wrcs in mstirịs wez. Ɖt spīć wl b rmembrd nt, az Jonsn hopt, fr its reṭric abt unlīśt Britiś swagr, bt fr ɖ fact ɖt in ɖ mdst v it, in a ʈro’we frêz, ɖr lrct ɖ sīd v ol v hiz – n ǎr – loct-dǎn nîtmerz v ɖ past yir.
In ɖ dez līdñ p t ɖ Grenij spīć, Jonsn hd bn pôntidli sîḷnt on ɖ vîṛs ɖt hd bî ɖen iscept fṛm Wūhan. A fl munʈ aftr it hd bn îdnṭfaid bî ɖ Ćînīz oʈoṛtiz, ɖ Grenij spīć marct ɖ frst tîm ɖ nem v ɖ dziz ofiṣ́li pást hiz lips.
Inevitbli, it wz imploid nt az a cōśnri not, bt az an iṛtetñ nigl t hiz viźn v swoś n bucl: “Globl groʈ z itslf anīmic n ɖ dclîn in globl poṿti z bginñ t slo,” Jonsn sd. “Ẃn [tred]barịrz r gwñ p, n ẃn ɖr z a risc ɖt ny dzizz sć az c’roṇvîṛs wl trigr a panic n a dzîr fr marcitsegṛgeśn ɖt g bynd ẃt z medicli raṣ́nl, t ɖ pônt v dwñ riyl n uņesṣri ic̣nomic damij, ɖen at ɖt momnt hymaṇti nīdz sm guvnmnt, smẃr, ɖt z wilñ at līst t mc ɖ ces pǎrf̣li fr frīdm v xćenj.”
Ɖr wz t b no dǎt ẃć guvnmnt wd stand stubnli oblivịs t ɖ riscs v ɖ vîṛs, ignor ɖ panic, n cīp ɖ marcit icoṇmi opn at ol costs. Britn, ɖ prim̦inistr craid, wz “redi t tec of its Clarc Cnt specṭclz, līp intu ɖ fonbuɖ n imrj wɖ its clǒc flowñ az ɖ sūṗćarjd ćampịn” v ic̣nomic frīdm in eni stand-of wɖ public-hlʈ rstrix́n.
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Boris Jonsn gvz hiz ci spīć at ɖ Old Nevl Colij in Grenij, Lundn, on 3 Febrri 2020. Foṭgraf: Franc Augstein/AP
W hv hŕd fṛm ɖ inṭćenɉbl cast v fōnñ ministrz in ɖ past wīc ɖt “nbdi cd hv wrct hardr” ɖn Jonsn in tac̣lñ ɖ pandemic. Bt ẃn historịnz – ɖoz pesci pṛfeśnl Captin Hîndsîts – cm t le ǎt ɖ evidns, ɖe wl fînd plenti ɖt dis’griz wɖ ɖt fanṭsi, startñ wɖ ɖ Grenij spīć.
Ɖ secnd xks ɖt Jonsn’z cortịrz hv bn tld t pédl z ɖt nwn cd hv pridictd eni v ẃt wz t cm. Ɖt z olso nt xacli tru. Ɖ wīc bfr Jonsn’z fri-tred spīć a rport in Ɖ Lansit hd asest ɖ līʈl ptnśl v ɖ vîṛs, n sjstd it wz cmpaṛbl t ɖ 1918 Spaniś flūpandemic, ẃć cild 50 miłn ppl.
Ɖ cnsrn wz nt cnfînd t ɖ xprts. It z noṭbl ɖt on ɖ Saṭde bfr Jonsn’z spīć, ɖ Dêli Meil hd dvotd its frunt pej nt t ɖ trîumf̣lizm v ɖ prīvịs nît’s Brexit seḷbreśnz, fr ẃć it hd so strîdntli campend, bt t ɖ ʈret t ɖ YC pozd bî Covid-19: “Hǎ mni mor YC victimz v vîṛs?” Jonsn’z ǒn formr imployr, ɖ Dêli Teḷgraf, cǎnsld on 1 Febrri ɖt Britn mst b priperd fr ɖ wrst. “Peṣmists mt pônt ǎt ɖt ɖ mortaḷti fr ɖ ny vîṛs z cnsidṛbli hayr ɖn fr swînflu. Ẃn swînflu brouc ǎt in 2009, ɖ NHS olso hd sper cpaṣti, hvñ injoid a deced v riyl-trmz invstmnt incrisz. Tde, ɖr z olrdi a śortij v bedz…”
On ɖ Ʈrzde bfr Jonsn’z setpìs in Grenij, ɖ Wrld Hlʈ Orġnîześn hd informd evri neśn ɖt ɖ vîṛs hd its hîist riscretñ – iqivḷnt t ɖt v Ibola n Sars – wɖ 7,818 cesz cnfrmd gloḅli, in 19 cuntriz. In rspons, on 31 Jańri, īvn Doṇld Trump hd rstrictd incumñflîts fṛm Ćîna. Jonsn nt onli vyd ɖ vîṛs az a lîn in a Sūṗman gag, bt az an oṗtyṇti t pruv ɖt h wz priperd fr Britn t g it alon agnst ɖ po-fest xprts, cīp ɖ erports opn wɖ miniml scrīnñ n qoṛntīn, nt ple bî ɖer rūlz.
T pruv ɖ pônt, bî ɖ tîm v ɖ Grenij spīć, h hd olrdi scipt ɖ tū Cobra mītñz dvotd t planñ fr eni ptnśl pandemic, līvñ ɖm t b ćerd bî ɖ olrdi haplis Mát Hancoc. Ovr ɖ cors v ɖ folowñ wīcs, h nglectd t atnd ʈri mor. Ten dez aftr ɖ Grenij spīć, h rtritd t hiz gres-n-fevr cuntri rtrit at Ćīvnñ fr a fortnît, partli t fîṇlîz ɖ trmz v hiz dvors fṛm Mrīna Ẃīlr, nt loñ rcuvrd fṛm cansr, n t let hiz groun-up ćildṛn in on ɖ fact ɖt h n Simndz wr xpctñ a bebi n hd bn sīcṛtli ingejd. Hiz eidz wr rportidli tld t “cīp brīfñpeprz śort” f ɖe xpctd ɖm t b réd. It wz olmst Marć bî ɖ tîm Jonsn riimrjd t stej-manij nyz v ɖ pregnnsi fr ɖ pres.
It wz in ɖs contxt ɖt h sat on brecfsṭîm sofaz n vegli flotd ɖ nośn v hrd iḿṇti, bfr dsmisñ ɖ tmtñ îdīa v “tecñ ɖ vîṛs on ɖ ćin”. On 3 Marć, ɖ clir advîs fṛm Sagi wz ɖt ɖ guvnmnt śd “worn agnst grītñz sć az śecñ handz n hugñ”. Jonsn, infṃsli, wnt ǎt ɖt de n tld rportrz: “I wz at a hospitl ɖ uɖr nît ẃr I ʈnc ɖr wr a fy c’roṇvîṛs peśnts n I śc handz wɖ evrbdi, y wl b plizd t nǒ, n I cntiny t śec handz.” Jonsn spent lêt Marć in îṣleśn, alñ wɖ most v hiz cabiṇt, n rli Epril in intnsiv cer.
It hz bn clemd ɖt ɖoz dez in hospitl ćenjd Jonsn fṛm ɖ Jon Bl-iś caṛctr h hd prizntd at Grenij intu a mor ćeisnd figr; ɖr z nt mć in hiz subsiqnt reṭric – v wrld-bìtñ ɖs n mūnśot ɖt, n brīfñz ɖt h wz “baṭlñ ɖ xprts t sev Crisṃs” – t s’port ɖt îdīa. Az h hz turd ɖ cuntri fr foto oṗtyṇtiz in hard hats n labcots, it z hard t śec ɖ b’lif ɖt h stl siz līdrśp az h sw it ẃn h stérd p at Ʈornhil’z sīlñ – az a cnd v costymdrama in ẃć h gts t star, a prepscūl pformns v 1066 n ol ɖt. H mt hv bn advîzd t pe closr atnśn t ɖ “wel-féd nimfs” ɖt h wevd a hand at in Grenij. Ɖe wr nt, az h sīmd t inviźn ɖm, decṛtiv elimnts v clasicl toti, bt dpix́nz v ɖ for vrćuz ɖt inebld gd guvnns: prūdns, justis, tmpṛns n forttyd.
Az ɖ deʈ tol last wīc pást ɖ 100,000 pridictd a yir ago, w wr invîtd bî ɖ guvnmnt’s fevrd nyzpeprz t si Jonsn az a “dīpli sori” hed-baud figr, in scrīn grabz v him rīdñ fṛm hiz nots.
Bt ẃtvr ɖoz hedlînz or Ceniʈ Brana’z fʈcmñ dpix́n imajin, w śd olwz cīp in mînd ɖt ɖs z nt ɖ prim̦inistr’z traɉdi, it’s ɖ traɉdi v ɖ faṃliz v ɖ 105,000 hu hv daid, v ɖ ci wrcrz hu hv risct ɖer livz de aftr de, ɖ miłnz hu hv sìn jobz n planz n bizṇsz capsîzd. W hv ol bn cast az wōc-onz in a drama ẃć, fṛm ɖ vri bginñ, wz partli, bt funḍmnṭli, v Jonsn’z mcñ – n wn ẃć wl onli proprli end ẃn h n hiz hami trùp v ćansrz fîṇli xit, stej rît, no dǎt stl lǎdli pṛnǎnsñ ɖt nbdi cd hv dn mor t cīp s sef.
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Sevn lésnz lrnt
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Ranḍmîzd trîlz r lîfsevrz
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Dx̣meʈ̇son z a ćīp sterôd drug ɖt hz sevd ɖ livz v 650,000 svirli il Covid peśnts. Its ifctivnis wz rvild ʈru ɖ YC Rcuṿri studi, ẃć cmperd trītmnts wɖ yźl NHS cer alon in ranḍmîzd trîlz. “Cliniśnz cm p wɖ ol sorts v hîpoʈ̇sīz abt drugz,” sz Martin Landre, jônt fǎndr v Rcuṿri. “Bt y’v got t tst ɖz hîpoʈ̇sīz. Fr ɖt y nīd larj, ranḍmîzd trîlz.”
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Ny dzizz r a constnt ʈret
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Covid-19 hz agn demnstretd ɖt wîld-animl tredñ, ẃr spīśīz r mixt tgɖr in apōlñ, stresfl srcmstansz, pṛmots dziz trnzmiśn btwn spīśīz – n on t hymnz. “Unls w cntrol loñ-distns tredñ in lîv animlz, ny dzizz wl apir agn n agn. Ɖt z a ci lésn fṛm ɖs pandemic,” sz Jemz Wŭd, pṛfesr v veṭrinri meḍsin at Cembrij Yṇvrṣti.
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Jnomic srvez r crūśl
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Britn hz pleid a ci rǒl in tracñ ɖ progres v Covid-19 acrs ɖ glob, ʈancs t its prǎis in jīnsīqnsñ. “YC l’boṛtriz hv carid ǎt 48% v ol ɖ wrld’z jīnomsīqnsñ v Covid-19,” sz Pṛfesr Sr Marc Cōlfīld, v Jnomics Ñgḷnd. “Ɖt hz bn invałbl in pinpôntñ ny strenz n unḍlînz ɖ nīd fr a globl jnomicsnetwrc t trac n bìt ɖs dziz. Ɖt wd b a lîflîn.”
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Ppl wl axpt incnvińns
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“Ste at hom n pṛtct ɖ NHS” wz a stroñ guvnmntmesij ɖt ɖ public axptd. Śops clozd, cartravl dropt bî tū ʈrdz, ẃl ppl pṛvîdd fūd fr ɖ hungri n clapt fr cerrz. “Ɖt trust wz unḍmaind bî Doṃnic Cumñz’z trip t Duṛm,” sz sîcoḷjist Pṛfesr Dem Til Wîcs, v Cñ’z Colij Lundn. “Yt most ppl stl foloud ɖ rūlz bcz ɖe ń ɖe wr fr a gd cōz.”
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A fast rspons z criticl
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A yir ago ɖ WHO wornd ɖ ny dziz reprizntd a public hlʈ imrjnsi. Ostreła wz wn v ɖ fy cuntriz t riact qcli. “Crūṣ́li, ɖoz wɖ past xpirịns v c’roṇvîṛsz lîc Sars dd riact n nǎ lc t b in a strongr pziśn,” sz Martin Hiḅd v ɖ Lundn Scūl v Hîjīn n Tropicl Meḍsin. “Dscuṿrñ a ny vîṛs’z caṛcṭristics n hvñ a clir straṭji wl b crūśl in avôdñ anɖr pandemic.”
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Ɖ NHS mst b proprli fundd
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Yirz v cuts t public hlʈsrṿsz left Britn il-priperd fr Covid-19 n wr criticl in alawñ deʈrets t sōr. “Az ɖ YC imrjz fṛm ɖ pandemic it wd b a trajic mstec t atmt t riistabliś a status quo ɖt wz marct in Ñgḷnd bî a stagneśn v hlʈ impruvmnt ɖt wz ɖ secnd-wrst in Yṛp,” stets a rvy léd bî Sr Mîcl Marṃt v Yṇvrṣti Colij Lundn.
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mRNA tecnoḷji z hir t ste
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Mesinjr RNA z yzd bî ǎr sélz t d’rect protīnmańfacćr. Bî lrnñ hǎ t haijac ɖt proses, Fîzr n Mderna md vaxīnz in record tîm. “W hd bn hírñ abt mRNA’z promis fr yirz n sudnli it arîvd,” sz Pṛfesr Adm Fín v Bristl Yṇvrṣti. “Ɖs cd b a gemćenjr nt jst fr vaxīnz bt cansrcer.” Robin MCi
