LONDON, Jul 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – The British government confirmed most COVID-19 restrictions will end next week, despite surging cases caused by the Delta variant.
Most restrictions are set to end on Jul 19, as part of the final step or Step Four of England’s roadmap out of the lockdown, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced. But this still needs to be confirmed following a review of the latest data.
The detailed arrangement of Step Four includes: no more limits on social contact, to allow people to gather in groups of any size; removing the “one metre-plus” rule in almost all settings, except for specific places such as airports; no capacity caps on large scale events; people are no longer required to work from home, etc.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at Downing Street, Johnson said, “It is vital to proceed with caution and this pandemic is not over.”
His remarks came, as Britain reported another 34,471 cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 5,155,243, according to official figures released yesterday. It is the sixth day in a row, where the daily cases have been more than 30,000.
The country also recorded another six COVID-19-related deaths. The total number of deaths in Britain now stands at 128,431. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.
Johnson said that England’s strict border policy would continue, and tracking, tracing and isolating positive cases will stay in place.
The move to Step Four was delayed by up to four weeks, so every adult could be offered a vaccine. Some 6.8 million first and second doses have already been administered during the delay so far, according to a government statement released yesterday.
It is the right time to go to Step Four, Britain’s Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, said, during his speech in parliament yesterday. “If not now, when? There will never be a perfect time to take this step because we simply cannot eradicate this virus.”
Despite the easing, which will see the wearing of face masks in shops and on public transport being scrapped, the government will still recommend the use of face masks in crowded areas, according to Sky News.
Scientists warned that lifting all restrictions at this stage could increase likelihood of dangerous variants. More than 87 percent of adults in Britain received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccine and over 66 percent received two doses, the latest figures showed.
Javid said, the government is on track to offer every adult a dose of the vaccine by Jul 19.
The vaccination rollout will continue to accelerate by bringing forward second doses for under 40s to eight weeks – meaning the entire population will benefit from maximum protection more quickly, according to the government.– NNN-XINHUA
