England's sad Christmas

The people of the foggy country are feeling deeply isolated as they both have to deal with post-Brexit and the new strain of nCoV.

England’s sad Christmas

The British government must impose a Christmas blockade in the capital London and the southeast of the country due to the new strain of nCoV virus “out of control” from December 19. This means that millions of Britons’ Christmas holiday plans have been cancelled. Many countries have halted flights, tightening some of the busiest sea and land routes to the UK.

Britain was called “Treasure Island” by a pro-Brexit legislator not long ago because of the country’s wealth and prosperity. But now, before the new strain of nCoV is spreading, it has another name: Plague Island. Kelly Merris, a British-Australian, has canceled plans to return to her hometown to visit relatives for Christmas. “It’s not a good idea when you’re on an island full of plague and other countries don’t welcome you.”

Her husband, Aaron McDonald, said: “The British often see themselves as different from the rest of Europe and the world. And now we’re separating ourselves in a bad way. It’s disappointing.” .

Russell Hazel, a British citizen, said his close friend is traveling to Spain. And with the new blockade, he is very worried because he does not know how you will get home. And Piers Storey, a teacher, laughed when asked about European countries’ travel bans from Britain: “What can you say? There is no feeling of isolation like Brexit.”

“I’ve had better times than this,” said Tom Henderson, 29, a concert organizer, on a wet, gray day in London. In a calm voice, he said he had to cancel a Christmas trip with his family in the south of England, as well as work difficult during the pandemic. However, he still has an optimistic view of the future.

However, not everyone is like that. The majority of Britons, who have been working hard for Brexit, are suddenly feeling disconnected from the EU and with the world at large. They are angry at the government’s precarious plans. They lamented their struggle with a new, more infectious virus variant. This comes at a time when people are getting used to the chaos and anxiety in negotiating with the EU after Brexit.

For some, Britain’s lack of international offer is part of the price they have to pay for their years of effort to break away from the EU. “If you demand Brexit, here’s what you get. Why should Europeans sympathize with you, or trade with you?”, Suraya Klein-Smith said while queuing at a butcher shop on December 20. .

Smith, a flight attendant, has seen many of his colleagues lose their jobs this year and sympathizes with Londoners trying to leave the city on December 19, shortly after the British prime minister asked everyone to stay at home. . She said many people were desperate to wait for Christmas reunion in the current situation. But she thinks the government doesn’t deserve sympathy: “They made people spend money on shops, shopping and booking train tickets. And then they canceled it all at the last minute.”

As for many Londoners, they attribute the high risk of infection to the fact that recently, people have been exposed to too much society to be able to book a safe Christmas holiday home. Bruce McCombie, who hasn’t seen his family in Scotland for a year and had to cancel a planned visit home, said: “We’ve all been too busy socializing over the past few weeks. It’s not true. bit right.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged a special policy for Christmas travel. The British people are tired of the restrictions because of Covid-19, and hope for a temporary easing during the 5 Christmas holidays. So they rushed to make travel plans. The streets of London are packed with shoppers.

A few days later, the British government began to warn about the new variant. This disappointed many people because they had to cancel their plans at the last minute. Some people worry more about not being able to visit elderly relatives, whether the elderly will be cared for, or provided with adequate food during the holidays.

Besides, the government urged people to increase cultivation to accumulate food supply for the country. And supermarkets across the country warn of a shortage of vegetables and fruits. The cargo truck was stuck near the port. Of those trying to leave the UK for elsewhere in Europe before the travel ban came into effect, some were detained at airports.

While Britain and France are taking steps to mitigate threats to food supplies, Britons see travel bans and closures as their worst fears. For many, the country’s dire post-Brexit fate is coming true and coming sooner than expected.