Boris Johnson defended the decision to reopen from his country residence, where he has been quarantining after coming into contact with his health secretary, who had mild Covid-19 symptoms. “We have to ask ourselves the question, ‘If not now, when?’” he said. France, too, was rife with incongruities: angry protests, rising infections and record vaccinations. In the U.S., economic protections put in place for the pandemic will soon start to expire. (And in the perennial dogs vs. cats debate, it appears both can contract the coronavirus — but cats are more susceptible to infection, a study suggests.)

Source: International New York Times July 19, 2021 22:30 UTC