The pandemic has saved its cruellest blow yet for the moment when newly-approved vaccines gave hope that the end was finally in sight. Millions of Britons have been phoning friends and family to cancel holiday visits after Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed new restrictions in England, and other UK nations tightened their own. Faced with a highly infectious new virus strain, in effect “cancelling Christmas” for large parts of the country appears sadly unavoidable. But the U-turn, just days after Mr Johnson assured a planned easing of restrictions would go ahead, will make many feel the government is yet again behind the curve.
当新批准的疫苗终于给人们带来疫情将要结束的曙光之际，新冠疫情最无情的打击尚未露出獠牙。上周六，英国首相鲍里斯•约翰逊(Boris Johnson)宣布在英格兰实施新的限制措施，随后联合王国的其他构成国也收紧各自的限制措施，迫使数以百万计的英国人给朋友和家人打电话以取消假日探访。面对传染性极强的新型病毒毒株，在全国大部分地区实际上“取消圣诞节”似乎不可避免。但就在约翰逊作出将按计划放松限制的承诺几天后，政府政策的180度大转弯让许多人觉得，本届政府又一次落后于疫情曲线。