英国正式解封第一天：在担忧中按下“重启”键
在经历了漫长的“禁闭”期后，5月17日，英国宣布进一步放宽防疫限制措施。
根据英国政府制定的“解封路线图”，从今日起，餐厅、酒吧等室内餐饮区恢复营业、博物馆等文化娱乐设施重新开放；室外聚会人数上限增加到30人、室内聚会限制人数为6人或两户家庭；英国大学恢复线下授课；民众可以“跨境度假”，前往个别疫情低风险国家；苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰地区将施行类似“解封”举措。
After a long winter lockdown, from Monday, pubs, bars and restaurants in England will be permitted to open indoors, while indoor entertainment will also resume, including cinemas, museums and children's play areas.
People in England will be allowed to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people, and meet indoors in groups of up to six or as two households.
Meanwhile, all remaining accommodation including hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen from Monday, according to Johnson.
近段时间以来，随着英国政府在疫苗接种工作的持续推进，加上采取了较为严格的防疫限制措施，英国疫情在一定程度上得到有效控制。
另一方面，印度疫情的持续失控，使得在该国首次发现的变异病毒开始在世界范围内扩散。过去一周里，英国出现感染变异病毒的人数从520人增至1313人。在印度首次出现的变异病毒正逐步取代本地变种，在英国蔓延开来。
这一情况让不少专家感到担忧，英国医学协会日前就发出警告，认为进一步解封应该“极其谨慎”地进行。英国卫生大臣汉考克也表示，在印度首次出现的变异病毒正在“像野火一样在未接种疫苗的人群中蔓延”，随着其传播速度的持续加快，它将有可能成为英国流行的主要毒株。
Despite India reporting a surge in cases more than two weeks earlier. The B.1.617.2 variant is certainly worrying health experts.
On Sunday's TV news shows Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary, conceded ministers were worried. "New variants are one of the biggest risks to this opening because of the speed of transmission of this one. It can really spread like wildfire amongst the unvaccinated groups," he said.
The variant is "becoming the dominant strain in some parts of the country" such as Bolton and Blackburn, he told Sky News.
在解封前夕召开的新闻发布会上，英国首相约翰逊承认，在印度首次出现的变异病毒可能对6月份英国解封的最后阶段造成“严重破坏”。他表示，“会用上一切能够阻止毒株扩散的手段”，并呼吁民众“小心行事”，但他仍然坚持将“解封路线图”进行到底。
目前，受在印度首次出现的变异病毒影响严重的博尔顿、布莱克本等地区已经宣布紧急扩大接种范围，开始邀请18岁以上符合接种条件的人口进行新冠疫苗接种。在此之前，根据NHS英格兰的官方政策，现阶段只有38-39岁的适合接种人口能预定接种。
此外，英国政府将50岁以上人群接种疫苗的间隔由12周缩短为8周，以期更快给予民众保护。
汉考克强调，现有的疫苗对减缓在印度首次出现的变异病毒的传播仍然是有效的。但他也坦言，由于病毒迭代速度极快，目前没有哪一款疫苗能够一劳永逸地解决所有问题。
随着解封的逐步推进，英国政府表示在进入6月21日第四步解封之前，将在6月17日审查各项影响解封的数据。
According to the British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday, The variant is "becoming the dominant strain in some parts of the country" such as Bolton and Blackburn, he told Sky News.
On a more positive note, he said there is a "high degree of confidence" that the current vaccines are effective against the variant.
"And so even with the protection that the vaccine gives you, the vaccine protection is very high but it is not absolute."