British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that in England, the restrictions under the new crown epidemic will end, the law will no longer require the wearing of masks, and there will be no need to maintain social distancing.
The restrictions on daily life in the United Kingdom over the past 16 months will also end, and the rules for restricting six people in private homes and the guidelines for home work will be removed.
But this Monday, 27,334 cases were reported across the UK, and 9 people died within 28 days of testing positive.
Johnson is expected to lift restrictions on July 19 as planned. The final implementation will be decided after reviewing the latest data on July 12.
Johnson said at a press conference in Downing Street that the latest measures on returning to school, travel and self-isolation will be updated in the next few days.
However, he added that even if the legal requirement to wear a mask is cancelled, he himself will continue to wear it in crowded places “out of courtesy”.
Johnson said that England was able to remove most of the restrictions, thanks to the successful promotion of the vaccine, which weakened the link between cases and deaths.
But he warned that the number of cases is expected to rise to 50,000 per day later this month, and that “sadly, we must understand that more people will die from the new crown.”
Johnson explained that England has clearly made a lot of progress through the vaccination plan to reduce the fatality rate. If we don’t let go at this time, when will we have to wait?
He added that the future risk facing now is to either wait until the weather turns cold and open to the virus, or postpone everything again until next year.
However, according to Johnson, the self-quarantine order will continue to be enforced for people who test positive, but he said that new regulations will be formulated for fully vaccinated contacts soon.
British Health Minister Sajid Javid told lawmakers that he might announce a new system for close contacts this week.
analysis
England has not tried in other countries
BBC Health Correspondent Nick Triggle
In the face of the more contagious variant of the new crown pneumonia virus, Delta, the number of confirmed cases has risen rapidly. No country in the world has lifted restrictions under such circumstances.
Some people say that it is best to wait until autumn for all adults to have the opportunity to get the second dose of the vaccine.
It sounds good, but the scientists who advise the government seem to support lifting the restrictions in the summer.
As long as it is unblocked, the infection rate will definitely rise, and if unblocking is delayed, the peak of infection may occur at a worse time.
In the fall, the school will reopen-we can see the huge disruption caused by the rise in cases in recent weeks.
People will also do more outdoor activities in summer, which may help calm the peak.
But perhaps most importantly, you may be in flu season.
At a time when the national medical service system is facing the greatest pressure, the vulnerable groups will face more risks after being infected with the new crown.
However, this is not without risk. The government hopes that the herd immunity established through the vaccination program can prevent the increase in cases.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will each develop their own epidemic prevention measures. Among them, the Scottish government stated that it hopes to end the restrictions on August 9, but it may continue to require masks on certain occasions afterwards.
Originally, England would cancel the restrictions earlier, but the Delta variant caused a surge in cases last month, so that this important day had to be postponed to July 19.
Johnson further confirmed what England would look like after it was unblocked:
- Remove restrictions on attending weddings and funerals;
- Cancel the table service rules and admission requirements of bars and restaurants;
- Remove restrictions on visitors to designated nursing homes;
- The power of parliament to implement measures will expire;
- Large-scale events will not require certification by law.
This means that nightclubs and bars will reopen for the first time since the new crown epidemic to promote the development of the catering industry.
In response to Johnson’s latest remarks, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said, “With the increase in the infection rate, it would be reckless to cancel all protective measures at once.”
He added that a better plan should retain protective measures, and he recommended the use of masks in enclosed spaces and public transportation.
Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer of England, outlined three situations in which he will continue to wear a mask when the number of cases rises: The first situation is indoors, in crowded situations, or indoors with other When people are close; the second is if any competent authority requires me to do so; the third reason is that if you don’t wear a mask, others will feel uncomfortable.
Professor Whitty warned that this coming winter “may be very difficult for the national health service system” because chief scientific adviser Patrick Valance said that the vaccine will “weaken the link between diagnosis, hospital admission and death, but Not to break”.
BBC health reporter Nick Triggle analyzed that it is time to re-examine the new coronavirus. On the one hand, the widespread vaccination has changed everything. The new coronavirus is no longer as deadly as before. It has dropped from one in 60 to one in 1,000, and the hospital admission rate has also dropped from one in ten to 40 to 50. First, this means that the pressure on the hospital is also less.
Trigger quoted University of East Anglia professor Paul Hunter as saying, “The new crown virus will never disappear. Regardless of whether we have been vaccinated or not, we will inevitably be infected with it again and again for the rest of our lives.”
“The question is not whether it is safe to remove all restrictions, but when it is safest to do so.” Hunter believes that waiting any longer may make the situation worse, extending the wave of withdrawal of cases into the fall, when the school has resumed classes and flu. The season has also begun.
Muge Cevik, an infectious disease expert at the University of St. Andrews, believes, “We need to accept the existence of the new crown virus. We will not be able to completely stop its spread. We are now in the stage of managing the virus.”
Sevek believes that more emphasis should now be placed on recovery, solving the backlog of treatment for non-COVID-19 patients, dealing with economic consequences and unemployment, as well as the emotional and mental health losses caused by the epidemic.