Biden officials closely monitor the British Delta variant متغير

health. A COVID-19 testing center in London, Great Britain, on July 26, 2021. | Photo: Efe.

The main source of the news: Washington Post.

Senior officials in Joe Biden’s administration are closely watching the impact of the delta variant of COVID-19 in Britain, as concerns grow in the government about a similar possible situation in the US, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

Context: With around 70% of the UK at least partially vaccinated, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is touting a macro-economic reopening, even as infections increase by more than 50,000 a day. Most restrictions have ended in England despite the objections of the health authorities.

• Biden officials considered the consequences of this decision. They believe that if Britain’s reopening continues without a new wave of hospitalizations and restrictions, the US recovery is likely to continue.

• But if the UK cannot reopen its economy because the delta variant is spreading too quickly, the US, which has vaccinated a smaller proportion of its population, may face a similar situation.

data: British health officials reported Sunday that, after a steady increase, cases in the UK fell last week by about 15%. However, infections are still 10 times higher compared to May and April and it is not known if they will continue to decline.

• It is difficult to make accurate economic comparisons between the United States and the United Kingdom because their economies are different.

• More than 400,000 Americans sought unemployment assistance in the latest weekly data count, an increase that surprised some economists.