Britain hasn’t stopped anyone from going anywhere. Instead, it has advised travelers to avoid nonessential trips to hot zones.

Its National Health Service is only testing those checking into hospitals. Public health workers have essentially stopped tracing contacts of the infected.

In its unique approach, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is going it alone, and at least for now, mostly steering clear of the restrictions adopted by their neighbors.

Britain promises that it will unleash its own draconian measures — but the government says timing is everything in the face of a pandemic. The British are basically betting that the others are acting too soon.

“This is going to be a long haul,” said Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty at a news conference to introduce the policy four days ago.

“The timing is critical,” explained Chief Science Officer Patrick Vallance, who is worried about “behavioral fatigue.”

“If you tell people to stay at home too …continued .
[Source: Washington Post]