[Elephant②] UK's Johnson Absent for 3 Weeks Due to COVID... Early Complacency Worsened Crisis

Leaders trapped by Corona. As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis prolongs, we focus on global leaders who have sparked controversy due to delayed responses and inappropriate conduct or remarks. We examine the impact of undesirable responses during a crisis when leadership is most needed, and anticipate the trajectories of leaders whose positions are shaken as well as political changes in various countries.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] "We have passed the peak of COVID-19 for the first time. We are now entering a downward trend."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back. He was the first among major world leaders to test positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized, but has returned to his leadership position. In his first briefing after returning to work on the 30th of last month (local time), Prime Minister Johnson announced that the COVID-19 situation in the UK had passed its 'peak.' Having missed the peak of the UK's COVID-19 crisis during his month-long absence, he returned to work.

According to Worldometer, the UK has recorded 26,097 cumulative COVID-19 deaths, ranking third worldwide after the United States (63,765) and Italy (27,967). While Johnson was resting after discharge, the UK's daily death toll reached 1,172 on April 21. The cumulative confirmed cases increased more than tenfold from 14,543 on March 27, when Johnson tested positive, to 165,221 on the 29th of last month.

◆ Boasting about handshakes early on... Prime Minister, Health Secretary, and Crown Prince all infected = The virus has no eyes. This means anyone can be infected regardless of status, age, or gender. National leaders are no exception. In the UK, Prime Minister Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who is responsible for the COVID-19 response, and Charles, the Prince of Wales and first in line to the throne, all tested positive for COVID-19. These events occurred less than a month after the Johnson cabinet's complacent initial response.

Prime Minister Johnson initially downplayed the seriousness of the COVID-19 spread. On March 3, when meeting reporters, he said proudly, "I am shaking hands with people. Last night, I visited a hospital where there were likely COVID-19 patients, and I shook hands with everyone there." Four days later, on March 7, he attended a rugby match with his pregnant fianc?e Carrie Symonds. The leader's actions send a kind of 'message' to the public, and this revealed a complacent attitude toward COVID-19.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

At that time, the UK government initially promoted the 'herd immunity' theory and did not implement proactive COVID-19 containment measures such as social distancing. Herd immunity refers to the resistance to a disease that develops in a population when a certain proportion of individuals become immune to the infection. On March 13, Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific advisor, stated that 60% of the UK population would need to be infected with COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity, and that the government's response so far aimed at securing such immunity.

This approach did not consider the high infectivity and mortality rate of COVID-19 compared to diseases like the flu. Although the UK government prepared a COVID-19 response plan on March 3, which included encouraging social distancing, it was lukewarm in delivering strong messages, with Prime Minister Johnson's behavior at the center.

◆ UK government exposed by leader's 'absence' = Ultimately, Johnson created a work gap during the crisis. After testing positive on March 27, he experienced symptoms such as fever for ten days and was hospitalized on April 5. Considering he was discharged on April 12 and returned to work on April 27, he was absent for about three weeks after hospitalization. Having governed strongly based on the Conservative Party's landslide victory in last December's general election, he disappeared during the COVID-19 crisis.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

As Johnson became unable to perform his duties, the UK government fell into confusion. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab acted as the interim leader, but since the UK has no codified laws defining the scope of authority for a deputy prime minister during the prime minister's incapacity or absence, the situation was awkward. Critical decisions had to be made during the crisis, but there was no final decision-maker. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases surged in the UK, hospitals faced shortages of protective equipment such as masks and gowns, and economic losses in sectors like aviation increased sharply.

Ministers in the leaderless UK government exposed internal conflicts to the public. In particular, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Hancock showed disagreements over easing social distancing measures. Although the UK government denied it, media reports revealed that there was conflict over whether to lift social distancing amid growing economic damage from COVID-19. In mid-last month, a UK government official told foreign media, "This is the biggest political issue facing the UK," and said Johnson should make the decision.

Ultimately, on April 27, his first day back at work, Johnson apologized for the work gap and immediately stated that "easing lockdown measures is premature." Three days later, on the 30th, he announced plans to issue guidelines next week to safely reopen schools and workplaces currently closed. Since March 23, the UK has closed all stores except essential businesses such as supermarkets and pharmacies.

◆ UK preparing to return to normal... Will masks be recommended? = The UK is preparing to return to normal life. The National Health Service (NHS) has developed a six-week recovery plan and on the 30th of last month sent a letter to hospitals allowing them to resume routine surgeries. Priority will be given to surgeries that have been waiting for a long time, but online consultations related to COVID-19 should continue. The letter also requested regular COVID-19 testing for healthcare workers even if asymptomatic.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the same day, Dr. Patrick Vallance, the UK government's chief scientific advisor, explained that the infectiousness of COVID-19 patients is decreasing, and the number of hospitalized and intensive care patients is also declining. He emphasized, "The reproduction number has dropped below 1, currently around 0.6 to 0.9." This means the basic reproduction number, indicating the average number of secondary infections caused by one infected person, has fallen.

Johnson expressed his intention to recommend mask-wearing for the first time as part of preparations for the post-COVID-19 phase. According to The Guardian, Johnson said that such a plan might include this recommendation, adding, "Masks are useful epidemiologically, but I also think they will help people returning to work feel confident." Until now, the UK government repeatedly stated there was no scientific evidence that masks prevent COVID-19 infection, so attention is focused on whether Johnson's decision upon returning to work will change this stance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.