England to Extend Quarantine Another 6 Months

According to the Prime Minister of England, Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom was facing a second wave of the highly publicised novel COVID-19, which has led politicians across the pond to enact another 6 month quarantine. Before the United States surpassed 200,000 cases of COVID-19, the United Kingdom saw a spike in cases, especially in the Northwest, Midlands, and West Yorkshire.

The new law, a mandatory quarantine, reads that after 28 September, people who test positive for the virus are required to enter a 14-day quarantine and are being asked to self-isolate. “The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they are at risk of passing on the virus,” the British Prime Minister said Monday in a statement.

Reports of a recent incident have people on edge, a story where a man and woman returned to work when they should have been in quarantine. The couple was hit with a ￡1000 fine, or roughly $1,270 USD, a comparison that pales to the potential ￡10000 fine for the quarantine soon to be enacted. Per new restrictions, UK pubs, bars, and restaurants are required to close at 10pm, banned spectators at sporting events, and have limited the number of people allowed at a wedding from 30 to 15.

As of 23 September, the United Kingdom has seen over 410,000 cases of COVID-19, barely touching the 6.93 million cases of the virus within the United States and territories. However, the United States was slow to prepare for the virus, welcoming a large number of cases at the first spike.

Johnson said, “We are taking decisive and appropriate steps to balance saving lives with protecting jobs and livelihoods,” and mentioned the reality and prominence of the high-spreading sickness. Should the United States see another large advance in cases, the likelihood of a major attempt to stop the spread seems unlikely, with a general disposition to the restrictions, requirements, and enforcement of wearing a mask wearing a mask, seems to be functionally low, based on public reaction to the first wave of restrictions.