UK Prime Minister Johnson Eases COVID-19 Restrictions Amid Leadership Crisis

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of measures enforced to slow down the spread of the Omicron variant in England, after a peak in the number of infections.

Johnson has announced the dropping of obligatory wearing of masks in public places and COVID passports for entering nightclubs and large events.

However, people are still urged to wear protective masks in enclosed or crowded spaces, especially when encountering strangers.

The Prime Minister added that the government would stop its recommendation for employees to work from home and encourage them to report to their physical offices, as per Reuters.

Johnson added that secondary school pupils are no longer required to wear face masks in classrooms. The Department of Education will also remove guidance on their use in communal areas starting on Thursday as per BBC.

Too Early To Ease Restrictions

Since the number of COVID cases peaked at more than 218,000 early this month, infections in the UK have slowly dropped. The latest government data indicated slightly over 94,000 new cases on January 18, as per Al Jazeera.

While the number of infections has reached record levels, hospitalizations and deaths have not due to the UK's booster distribution initiatives and the Omicron's milder impact than previous variants.

Johnson said that scientists believed the Omicron wave had "peaked nationally." Due to boosters and how people had adopted Plan B measures, England can now go back to "Plan A."

But virologist Lawrence Young of the University of Warwick warned that it is too early and too risky for people to return to normal ways "in the face of extremely high levels of infection."

"Perhaps it would have been wiser to wait for another couple of weeks before removing the advice to work from home and the face coverings mandate. There's no guarantee that infection levels will continue to fall," Young advised.

Johnson Defies Calls For His Resignation

Meanwhile, Johnson defied calls for his resignation on Wednesday in a feisty performance.

But observers believe it may not be working a lot to thwart a motion by his Conservative Party's lawmakers to oust him over his involvement in government parties that defy lockdown regulations.

Conservative lawmaker Christian Wakeford said the Prime Minister was "incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves."

According to ABC News, Johnson brushed aside calls for him to step down and defended his government's record in handling the economy, battling crime, and dealing with the coronavirus outbreak during a heated Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons.

Amid public outrage over the "partygate" allegation, conservative legislators discuss whether to initiate a no-confidence vote in Johnson.

A no-confidence vote in the party's leader can be conducted if 54 party lawmakers, or 15% of the party's total in the House of Commons, write letters to a party officer demanding it, according to Conservative Party rules.

If Johnson loses a confidence vote among the Conservative Party's 359 legislators, an election will be held to replace him as Conservative leader. The winner would also become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. If Johnson won the election, he would Johnson would be immune to a similar challenge for one year.

Last week, Johnson apologized to lawmakers for attending a party in the garden of his offices in Downing Street in May 2020, when people were prohibited from attending gatherings due prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.