Still, concerns over the rapid increase in cases has piled pressure on the government to take a more cautious approach over lifting restrictions. The numbers of people requiring hospitalization or dying from COVID-19 have stayed low and broadly stable, though they have been edging up in recent days. The British government believes that the vaccine rollout has mostly severed the link between infections and those needing hospitalization. The government has no plans yet to offer vaccines to children under 18. Many of the infections have occurred among younger people who have yet to receive a first dose of vaccine. “There will never be a perfect time to take this step, because we simply cannot eradicate this virus - whether we like it or not, coronavirus is not going away,” Javid said. Waiting any longer to lift restrictions will risk having the virus spread peak in the autumn and winter, when children return to school and hospitals are most likely to be overwhelmed by seasonal infections, Javid and Johnson said. Javid said while new infections could reach 100,000 a day later in the summer, two doses of the vaccine offer effective protection against serious illness from the virus and officials believe the surge in cases will not put “unsustainable pressure” on hospitals. At the same time infections have soared in recent weeks, running at over 30,000 new cases daily, driven by the delta variant. The government is on track to meet its target of offering all adults a first vaccine dose by July 19, the day when all remaining lockdown restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing, are to be lifted.Īs of Monday, 87% of the U.K.’s adult population have had their first dose, and 66% have had both doses. Javid told Parliament that Britain’s successful vaccine rollout means that nine out of 10 adults in the U.K. The government’s decision balances the harms brought by COVID-19 and damage done by continued restrictions, he said. Nightclubs can reopen for the first time since March last year, and there will no longer be limits on people attending concerts, theaters, weddings or sports events.Įarlier, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it was the right time to allow Britons a chance to return to normal life.

The final stage of easing England’s lockdown means that all restrictions on social gatherings will be removed and social distancing measures will be scrapped. We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before COVID,” Johnson said.

This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family. Nightclubs and other venues with crowds should use vaccine passports for entry “as a matter of social responsibility,” he added. Johnson said although risks of the pandemic remain, legal restrictions will be replaced by a recommendation that people wear masks in crowded places and on public transport. He said it was “the right moment to proceed” as schools close for summer vacation but urged people to “proceed with caution.”

LONDON (AP) - All remaining lockdown restrictions in England will be lifted in a week despite a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday.

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