By Tony O’Riley-
Boris Johnson delighted most members of the British public by announcing that most Rules in England are set to be scrapped at the final stage of England’s Covid lockdown roadmap, putting an end to the uncertainty of restrictions.
The announcement is to draw a line on months of severe restrictions that have changed the lives of Brits for over a year. Boris Johnson has told the public in England that from 19 July they must use their own judgment to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infections, wiping hundreds of regulations on mask-wearing, social distancing. Most people are happy with the news, though there are some unsure about the decision to eliminate the requirement of mask wearing from the public.
The rule of six inside private homes as well as work-from-home guidance are to be abolished to end 16 months of on-off restrictions on daily life end.
The PM said he expected the final step would happen as planned on 19 July.
Further updates on school bubbles, travel and self-isolation will follow in the coming days, Mr Johnson said.
He said that, even after the removal of the legal requirement to wear a face covering, he would continue to wear one in crowded places “as a courtesy”.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own coronavirus rules.Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Mr Johnson said the ability to end a vast majority of legal restrictions in England was thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout.
However, he warned that cases were predicted to rise to 50,000 a day later this month and said “we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid”.
The final stage of England’s roadmap, step four, was delayed last month to no earlier than 19 July amid surging virus cases linked to the Delta variant.
Mr Johnson said step four should proceed on that date, subject to a review of the latest data on 12 July.
The prime minister also announced an end to limits on attendance at weddings and funerals
table service rules at bars and restaurants and venue check-in requirements to be scrapped
limits on named care home visitors will be lifted.
The announcement means nightclubs will reopen for the first time since the pandemic began, while ordering at the bar will return in a boost to the hospitality industry.
Social distancing requirements, including the 1m-plus rule, have prevented many venues from operating at full capacity during the pandemic.
Face coverings are currently required, for those without an exemption, on public transport and in shops as part of regulations backed by law.
Speaking alongside the PM, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty outlined the three scenarios where he would continue to wear a face covering in the context of rising case numbers.
“The first is any situation which is indoors, crowded, or indoors with close proximity with other people… the second situation I’d do it is if I was required to by any competent authority… and the third reason is if someone else was uncomfortable if I did not wear a mask,” he said.
On the vaccine roll out, Mr Johnson said the gap between first and second vaccine jabs for the under-40s will be shortened from 12 weeks to eight.
Johnson insisted he had to ‘balance the risks… the risks of the disease, and the risks of continuing with restrictions’.
‘If we don’t go ahead now when we we’ve clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link between infection and death.
‘If we don’t go ahead now when the summer firebreak is coming up, the school holidays, all the advantages that that should give us in fighting the virus, then the question is, ”when would we go ahead?”.
‘Particularly given the likelihood the virus will have an extra advantage in the colder months, in the autumn, and in the winter.
‘So we run the risk of either opening up at a very difficult time when the virus has an edge, has an advantage in the colder months, or again putting everything off to next year so I do think it’s going to be a very balanced decision next week.’
The one-metre plus decree and advice to work from home where possible will also be dropped, with mask wearing no longer mandatory – while pubs and other venues will not have to collect customer details and will again be able to serve drinks at the bar.
Mr Johnson also said limits on gatherings will be done away with, and dumped the idea of legally requiring ‘Covid certificates’ at bars and restaurants, with the vaccination drive instead being trusted to do the heavy lifting of protecting the public.
However, although the premier said he intends to replace self-isolation with testing for anyone who is double jabbed and comes into contact with a positive case, he did not put a time scale to it.
The prime minister stopped short of confirming that quarantine requirements for ‘amber list’ countries will be waived for double-jabbed Brits from July 19. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to make an announcement later in the week.
The plan for the final stage of the roadmap will be subject to a final approval next Monday.