UK's new health chief to brief lawmakers as virus cases soar

Britain’s new health secretary is briefing Parliament on plans for easing COVID-19 restrictions as the exit of his disgraced predecessor raises questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s judgment and cronyism at the heart of government

LONDON -- Britain’s new health secretary briefs Parliament on Monday on plans for easing COVID-19 restrictions as the exit of his disgraced predecessor raises questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s judgment and cronyism at the heart of his Conservative government. Sajid Javid was named to the post Saturday after Matt Hancock stepped down following revelations that he was having an affair with an old friend he had hired as an adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care. While Johnson initially backed Hancock, the former health secretary was forced to step down amid outrage that he had broken social distancing rules by kissing his adviser. Javid will appear before lawmakers to update the timetable for easing coronavirus restrictions in England. The government has said it will review pandemic data to see if the remaining measures can be lifted before the scheduled date of July 19. Virus experts and National Health Service officials are urging the government not to speed up the timetable, saying they need time to vaccinate as many people as possible amid the rapid spread of the highly infectious delta variant, first discovered in India.