Two things matter now: the international pathways essential for vaccine production and the international pathways that allow the waves of the virus to spread.
Many of our neighbors are confronted by a double political and epidemiological blow: a failure to vaccinate anywhere near the rate that the UK has, and another wave of infections, leading to increased restrictions.
The lesson of this pandemic so far has been what happens nearby can happen here, and quickly – a perspective for which the prime minister seems to be alive.
Previously, Boris Johnson said: “On the continent now, you can see, unfortunately, that there is a third wave going on and people in this country should be under no illusions … that previous experience taught us that when a wave hits our friends, it it washes off our coast as well and I hope to feel these effects in due time. That’s why we are continuing our vaccination program as soon as we can. ”
With more than half of the adults in the UK having received an injection, the consequences of another wave are probably not what they could have been – but it is striking that the prime minister has chosen to publicly acknowledge that there will be an impact here.
Health Minister Lord Bethell went further – saying that it was a “possibility” “all of our European neighbors” could be placed on the “red (travel) list”, which means mandatory quarantine in a hotel for all residents from the UK arriving.
Meanwhile, the PM is talking to other European leaders about vaccine production and distribution. He spoke yesterday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Johnson said he was “at ease” that the EU did not want to see what he called “roadblocks”.