UK’s Johnson walks tightrope between politics, COVID surge

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is walking a political tightrope as he faces increasing attacks from both friends and enemies amid a surge in COVID-19 infections. For the second winter in a row, Johnson is betting vaccines will be his savior, urging everyone to get booster shots to slow the spread of the new omicron variant and hoping to avoid the need for further politically unpalatable restrictions on business and social activity. The threat to Johnson and his Conservative Party has been on stark display as the prime minister reeled from one political crisis to another. The pressure on Johnson is being stoked by the highly transmissible omicron variant, which has pushed Britain’s COVID-19 infections to record highs in recent days.