"This hasty launch of the Test and trace system (systematic tracing of Covid-19 cases), isn’t that just a way to end the headlines in the Dominic Cummings case? ", asked Sky News morning broadcaster Kay Burley Thursday, May 28, referring to Boris Johnson's special advisor accused of failing to comply with the rules of containment. His guest, the British Minister for Health, Matt Hancock, replied with a great laugh: " It is the height ! Usually, I’m criticized for being late. "I'm not sure that will make our listeners laugh", replied the journalist dryly. Atmosphere…
Kay Burley’s allegation shows one thing: Boris Johnson has been trying for almost a week to " draw a line ", as he says himself, on the " distraction " of the Cummings affair, the latter seriously undermines its strategy to fight the coronavirus, while the balance sheet is now approaching 38,000 deaths in the United Kingdom. "The case is closed", Johnson said Thursday evening after police in Durham, the northern English town where Cummings isolated himself and his family in early April, despite official orders ("stay home") ), announced not to prosecute him although he "May have broken the rules".
Part of the media and his political opponents suspect the Prime Minister of using health announcements to make people forget that he refuses to part with the architect of his Brexit strategy. Worse still, they fear that his attitude discourages the British from continuing to follow government recommendations to the letter. This is the case of some 40 elected officials from his own conservative camp, who are still claiming the head of Mr. Cummings.
"Dangerously irresponsible"
Hoping finally "move forward", in his strategy, Mr. Johnson had therefore dispatched a faithful – Mr. Hancock, Wednesday, May 27 in the evening – to explain live from Downing Street, what was the Test and trace system, supposed to be operational the next morning, Thursday. Anyone with symptoms is asked to request a test, and then report to the NHS (the British hospital system) everyone they have been in close contact with (within 2 meters for at least fifteen minutes). The latter must isolate themselves "immediately" for fourteen days.
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