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| Coronavirus Puts to the Fore an Improbable U.K. Leader: Dominic Raab | Coronavirus Puts to the Fore an Improbable U.K. Leader: Dominic Raab |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| LONDON — Last year, when the stalemate over Brexit was dominating the agenda, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain appointed Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, as his deputy and next-in-line. | LONDON — Last year, when the stalemate over Brexit was dominating the agenda, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain appointed Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, as his deputy and next-in-line. |
| Mr. Raab seemed to have all of the required traits: A true believer in Brexit, he had mostly steered clear of scandal and was never seen as a serious contender for the top job. | Mr. Raab seemed to have all of the required traits: A true believer in Brexit, he had mostly steered clear of scandal and was never seen as a serious contender for the top job. |
| But now Mr. Johnson is in intensive care with the coronavirus. Brexit has vanished from the public’s radar. And Mr. Raab has been given the power to lead the British government through one of its greatest peacetime crises, putting him closer than anyone ever imagined to the role of prime minister. | But now Mr. Johnson is in intensive care with the coronavirus. Brexit has vanished from the public’s radar. And Mr. Raab has been given the power to lead the British government through one of its greatest peacetime crises, putting him closer than anyone ever imagined to the role of prime minister. |
| That has startled some of Mr. Raab’s rivals at the top of government, who have raised doubts in British news reports about his fitness for the job. And with the virus tearing through Mr. Johnson’s administration, sending top lawmakers and advisers into isolation, it has thrust Mr. Raab into the role of settling cabinet disputes and reassuring an unnerved public as the government decides whether to extend a nationwide lockdown. | That has startled some of Mr. Raab’s rivals at the top of government, who have raised doubts in British news reports about his fitness for the job. And with the virus tearing through Mr. Johnson’s administration, sending top lawmakers and advisers into isolation, it has thrust Mr. Raab into the role of settling cabinet disputes and reassuring an unnerved public as the government decides whether to extend a nationwide lockdown. |
| For Mr. Raab, 46, a wooden public speaker more at ease navigating the ideological disputes of Brexit than the delicate questions of health care capacity and stay-at-home orders, it may be an ill-timed ascent. | For Mr. Raab, 46, a wooden public speaker more at ease navigating the ideological disputes of Brexit than the delicate questions of health care capacity and stay-at-home orders, it may be an ill-timed ascent. |
| In a halting news conference on Monday, several hours before Mr. Johnson’s office announced that the prime minister had been transferred to intensive care, Mr. Raab struggled to explain why Mr. Johnson remained in charge from a hospital bed. | In a halting news conference on Monday, several hours before Mr. Johnson’s office announced that the prime minister had been transferred to intensive care, Mr. Raab struggled to explain why Mr. Johnson remained in charge from a hospital bed. |
| And he admitted having last spoken to Mr. Johnson on Saturday, suggesting either that the prime minister was sicker than the public had been told or that Mr. Raab was not close enough to Mr. Johnson to act as his stand-in during the crisis. | And he admitted having last spoken to Mr. Johnson on Saturday, suggesting either that the prime minister was sicker than the public had been told or that Mr. Raab was not close enough to Mr. Johnson to act as his stand-in during the crisis. |
| “Anyone who saw that press conference would have been reminded of his limitations as a communicator,” said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London. “Sometimes a crisis can see a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, but I rather doubt that will happen here.” | “Anyone who saw that press conference would have been reminded of his limitations as a communicator,” said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London. “Sometimes a crisis can see a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, but I rather doubt that will happen here.” |
| As the first secretary of state in Mr. Johnson’s government, Mr. Raab has formally been his deputy since Mr. Johnson won leadership of Britain’s Conservative Party last year. That left little doubt that he would be the government’s “designated survivor,” the stand-in should Mr. Johnson fall ill. | As the first secretary of state in Mr. Johnson’s government, Mr. Raab has formally been his deputy since Mr. Johnson won leadership of Britain’s Conservative Party last year. That left little doubt that he would be the government’s “designated survivor,” the stand-in should Mr. Johnson fall ill. |
| But his responsibilities have grown far more quickly than anyone expected. He has already led meetings with the powerful heads of each facet of the government’s coronavirus response this week. And he will lead cabinet meetings and make decisions on Mr. Johnson’s behalf if the prime minister cannot do so himself from intensive care. | But his responsibilities have grown far more quickly than anyone expected. He has already led meetings with the powerful heads of each facet of the government’s coronavirus response this week. And he will lead cabinet meetings and make decisions on Mr. Johnson’s behalf if the prime minister cannot do so himself from intensive care. |
| Mr. Johnson’s office has said the prime minister is still breathing on his own and has not been put on a ventilator. But his prognosis remains uncertain, and the government has been cagey about his condition since he tested positive for the virus last month. | Mr. Johnson’s office has said the prime minister is still breathing on his own and has not been put on a ventilator. But his prognosis remains uncertain, and the government has been cagey about his condition since he tested positive for the virus last month. |
| During his decade as a Conservative lawmaker, Mr. Raab’s most influential moment may have come in 2018 when he resigned from the cabinet of Mr. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, after only four months in his job. | During his decade as a Conservative lawmaker, Mr. Raab’s most influential moment may have come in 2018 when he resigned from the cabinet of Mr. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, after only four months in his job. |
| A hard-line Brexit backer, he resigned in protest of the draft withdrawal agreement that he had ostensibly helped to negotiate as Mrs. May’s Brexit secretary. In truth, he had only limited influence over the deal, which envisioned Britain keeping some distant ties to the European Union after Brexit. But he became part of a parade of pro-Brexit lawmakers angry at Mrs. May’s plan who helped force her to step down as Conservative Party leader and prime minister. | A hard-line Brexit backer, he resigned in protest of the draft withdrawal agreement that he had ostensibly helped to negotiate as Mrs. May’s Brexit secretary. In truth, he had only limited influence over the deal, which envisioned Britain keeping some distant ties to the European Union after Brexit. But he became part of a parade of pro-Brexit lawmakers angry at Mrs. May’s plan who helped force her to step down as Conservative Party leader and prime minister. |
| For Mr. Raab’s fans, his resignation was proof that he was a man of principle, a dyed-in-the-wool Brexit supporter who put his commitment to a Brexit deal cutting ties between Britain and the European Union above all else. To his detractors, it was evidence that he was a careerist, a weather vane politician who read the mood of pro-Brexit Conservative Party members and pointed the same way. | For Mr. Raab’s fans, his resignation was proof that he was a man of principle, a dyed-in-the-wool Brexit supporter who put his commitment to a Brexit deal cutting ties between Britain and the European Union above all else. To his detractors, it was evidence that he was a careerist, a weather vane politician who read the mood of pro-Brexit Conservative Party members and pointed the same way. |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | Updated June 22, 2020 |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| In any case, Mr. Raab soon joined the race to succeed Mrs. May, staking out a position as perhaps the most pro-Brexit candidate and expressing more openness than even Mr. Johnson to the idea of shutting down Parliament to enact a total split from the European Union. | |
| But without Mr. Johnson’s celebrity or charisma, he finished in sixth place and endorsed the eventual prime minister. | But without Mr. Johnson’s celebrity or charisma, he finished in sixth place and endorsed the eventual prime minister. |
| That helped put him in the pole position to become Mr. Johnson’s first secretary of state, a mostly empty title in a government where other lawmakers, including the chancellor of the Exchequer, clearly have more power. | That helped put him in the pole position to become Mr. Johnson’s first secretary of state, a mostly empty title in a government where other lawmakers, including the chancellor of the Exchequer, clearly have more power. |
| In a cabinet of intensely competitive rivals, many of whom had been vying for Mr. Johnson’s job, Mr. Raab’s middling result and his pro-Brexit bona fides made him an obvious choice for the job of most senior cabinet minister. With Brexit stalled last year, Mr. Johnson was eager to show the Conservative Party’s agitated base that, should anything happen to him, a fellow pro-Brexit traveler would be prepared to take over. | In a cabinet of intensely competitive rivals, many of whom had been vying for Mr. Johnson’s job, Mr. Raab’s middling result and his pro-Brexit bona fides made him an obvious choice for the job of most senior cabinet minister. With Brexit stalled last year, Mr. Johnson was eager to show the Conservative Party’s agitated base that, should anything happen to him, a fellow pro-Brexit traveler would be prepared to take over. |
| Mr. Raab has drawn criticism for his hard-line positions, especially comments he made in 2011 that feminists were “amongst the most obnoxious bigots” in Britain. He is seen as having stronger objections to government spending than Mr. Johnson, making him an odd person to be taking over at a time of enormous financial rescue packages. | Mr. Raab has drawn criticism for his hard-line positions, especially comments he made in 2011 that feminists were “amongst the most obnoxious bigots” in Britain. He is seen as having stronger objections to government spending than Mr. Johnson, making him an odd person to be taking over at a time of enormous financial rescue packages. |
| But it helped his relationship with Mr. Johnson that some of his campaign staff members had worked on the Brexit campaign in 2016 with Mr. Johnson’s aides. And as a graduate of Oxford and Cambridge who went on to become a lawyer in the Foreign Office leading a team prosecuting war criminals, Mr. Raab was seen as a safe pair of hands. | But it helped his relationship with Mr. Johnson that some of his campaign staff members had worked on the Brexit campaign in 2016 with Mr. Johnson’s aides. And as a graduate of Oxford and Cambridge who went on to become a lawyer in the Foreign Office leading a team prosecuting war criminals, Mr. Raab was seen as a safe pair of hands. |
| “He’d put in a reasonable performance in the leadership contest but wasn’t really seen as a serious threat to Boris Johnson,” Professor Bale said. “If you’re going to appoint a deputy, or at least a de jure deputy, then someone who isn’t seen as a threat is quite useful.” | “He’d put in a reasonable performance in the leadership contest but wasn’t really seen as a serious threat to Boris Johnson,” Professor Bale said. “If you’re going to appoint a deputy, or at least a de jure deputy, then someone who isn’t seen as a threat is quite useful.” |