British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday accepted public frustration with the government’s moves to lift some restrictions as the country seeks to reopen its economy amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
His latest comments come amid new YouGov polling that shows nearly half of the population does not think the government has handled the situation well, while 47% approve of Mr. Johnson’s handling of the health crisis, Sky News reported.
“We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work,” Mr. Johnson wrote in the Daily Mail on Sunday.
Despite mounting criticism of the latest moves to reopen parts of the country, Mr. Johnson said that he understands people “will feel frustrated with some of the new rules,” but he trusts the “good sense of the British people” to abide by the updated guidelines.
The U.K. has reported 241,461 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 34,546 deaths — the highest in Europe — and 1,058 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Britain has a population of 66 million.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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