British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce further easing of coronavirus restrictions in England later on Monday, despite the increase in daily delta cases, saying people should learn to live with the virus and “exercise judgment”. about their daily life.
Johnson is expected to continue the final phase of the four-step plan to break the blockade and “restore people’s freedom” while speaking at a news conference on Monday. The fourth step, which is set to take effect on July 19, will mean the repeal of mask-wearing rules, an end to social distancing, and the return of large-scale events.
“With the successful implementation of our immunization programme, we are vigilant about the progress of our action plan,” Johnson said in a statement ahead of the announcement on Sunday. “Today we will describe how we can restore people’s freedom when we get to Step 4.
But I must stress that the epidemic is not over yet and that the number of cases will rise in the coming weeks. As we begin to learn how to live with this virus, we all need to continue to carefully manage COVID risks and make judgments as we deal with our lives.
The move toward easing regulations appears to be continuing, even though coronavirus cases have reached their highest level since January.
The number of daily infections reached 24,248 on Sunday, with 15 deaths.
More than 78 million doses of the vaccine had been administered in the UK by 4 July, and 63.4% of adults had received two doses, according to the government.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has expressed concern about the removal of all containment measures due to the increase in the delta variable.
Chand Nagpol, president of the BMA, told Sunrise Radio on Sunday that the government should continue with “reasonable targeted measures to combat the coronavirus” and work on “data, not dates” when making decisions to protect people’s lives.
Newly appointed Health Minister Sajid Javid is expected to announce details of the rescue operation in Parliament ahead of Johnson’s media conference.
It’s scary to have a health minister who still thinks Covid is the flu
Who does not care about the level of injury?
Who does not realize that those who care about health are also better for the economy?
Who wants to give up all protection when only half of us are vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/tzpRLoAnYZ– Stephen Reicher (@ReicherStephen) 4 July 2021
In a column on Sunday at the right-wing Post Office, Javid said people need to learn to live with the coronavirus while they have the flu and that the country is “on the right track” to get out of the lockdown on July 19. The decentralized UK has different reopening schedules, with Scotland aiming for August 9.
“We will have a country that is not only freer, but also healthier,” Javid wrote.
Officials said data from Public Health England showed COVID vaccines are highly effective against severe disease and hospitalizations in the Delta, with Pfizer Piontech at 96 per cent effective and Oxford AstraZeneca at 92 per cent against hospitalization after two doses.
The government is also preparing to provide a third “booster” dose to the most vulnerable groups and all those over 50 to boost their immunity during the winter months.
Ministers will make a final decision to reopen on July 12.
