Prime Minister Boris Johnson provides an update on the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic during a virtual press conference at 10 Downing Street on March 18, 2021 in London, England.
Tolga Akmen – WPA Pool | fake images
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LONDON – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson detailed final steps in easing England’s lockdown rules on Monday, with a final decision to be made on July 12.
“If we can’t reopen our society in the coming weeks, when summer and school holidays help, we need to ask ourselves ‘when can we reopen?’” Johnson said at a news conference in Downing Street.
“Freedom Day”, or “Step 4” of the government’s long-term plan to ease restrictions, will take place on July 19 if the government’s “four tests” to ease Covid restrictions are met. .
The tests include looking at data to confirm that the vaccine launch continues successfully and that infection rates are not at risk of an increase in hospitalizations. These will be evaluated on July 12 after a review of the most recent data.
Johnson said Monday there would be no limits on how many people can meet socially or where they can meet. He said regulations that mandate face masks would be lifted and people will no longer be instructed to work from home.
All remaining businesses that are currently closed, such as nightclubs, could reopen and the social distancing rules would end as well.
Johnson reiterated that Covid will become a virus that we will learn to live with as we already do with the flu, admitting that a reopening would likely lead to more deaths.
“It has become increasingly clear that these vaccines are really successful with the majority of those admitted to the hospital without vaccinating.”
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The lifting of restrictions in England had previously been scheduled for June 21, but was delayed as the highly transmissible delta variant spread across the UK.
While infection rates have increased, hospitalizations and deaths have not increased, indicating that coronavirus vaccines are working to prevent serious infections.
The British government has previously signaled its reluctance to keep the restrictions in place for longer than is strictly necessary. This is despite some concerns among medical experts and opposition politicians that the restrictions could be lifted too soon as the variant spreads in the UK, Europe and beyond.
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Britain’s Covid immunization program has been one of the fastest in the world, with 86% of the adult population now receiving a first dose of a vaccine and 63.8% having received two doses, data shows. government data.
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