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PM raises hopes for freedom day

Source: BBC News

Boris Johnson has set out government plans to lift the remaining Covid restrictions in England. The Prime Minister said he hoped most legal restrictions and guidance in England – in place to stop the spread of the virus – would be removed from 19 July.

 

  • Scotland aims to lift all major legal lockdown restrictions by 9 August
  • the next review of measures in Wales is due on 15 July
  • some rules in Northern Ireland have just changed, with another review due on 8 July

 

What did the PM say?

At a Downing Street briefing, Mr Johnson said the government was looking to “move away from legal restrictions” and would instead allow people “to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus”.

But he said the pandemic was “far from over”.

Although the prime minister spoke about the importance of “reopening our society” on 19 July, confirmation of the lifting of restrictions and guidance on that date won’t actually happen until 12 July, when the latest Covid health data will be reviewed.

As Mr Johnson was speaking, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid outlined the plans in Parliament – describing them as the “restoration of freedoms”.

What rules and guidance will be relaxed?

If approved on 12 July, the following will change in England from 19 July:

 

Social distancing/face coverings

  • no limits on social contact
  • 1m-plus rule removed (except in some settings, such as ports of entry and medical settings)
  • no legal requirements for face coverings (although their use will still be advised in hospitals, healthcare settings and enclosed, crowded public spaces)


Events/hospitality/businesses

  • nightclubs permitted to reopen
  • capacity caps on businesses will be lifted
  • hospitality businesses will no longer be required to provide table service only
  • no limits on numbers at weddings and funerals
  • no restrictions on communal worship and singing
  • no limits on people attending concerts, theatres or sports events
  • no legal requirements for Covid certificates for any venue or event

Guidance on working from home will also end and limits on named visitors to care homes will be removed.

Symptomatic testing and contact tracing will continue – and it will still remain a legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive for Covid.

Mr Johnson said there would be announcements later this week on:

  • removing school bubbles and contact-isolation for pupils
  • removing the need for fully-vaccinated people to self-isolate on return from “amber list” countries

Credit: BBC News

 

But aren’t Covid cases on the rise?

Yes, and they are expected to continue to rise as restrictions ease.

But, because of the vaccination programme, the link between infections and hospitalisations and deaths has been weakened.

Downing Street says hospitalisations, serious illness and deaths will continue, albeit at a much lower level than before vaccinations started.

Mr Johnson told reporters the time between first and second jabs for under-40s would be cut from 12 weeks to eight.

“So everyone aged 18 and over should be doubled-jabbed by the middle of September.”

 

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement today, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said:

 

“This is a much-needed step on the road to normality and we welcome the Prime Minister setting out the direction of travel in advance of reopening.

 

“But businesses in England still do not have the full picture they desperately need to plan for unlocking.

 

“Much remains in the balance, firms do not yet know the future of self-isolation rules, if testing will remain free for them, or when international travel will open up effectively.

 

“Without clear guidance for businesses around the new proposals, there could be real uncertainty on how they should operate going forward and what they should be doing to keep staff and their customers safe.

 

“This could lead to a fractured, patchwork approach with very different positions being taken by many businesses, across many locations. That, in turn, could severely undermine the public’s trust in reopening.

 

“All of this means the huge logistical headache firms face around reopening hasn’t disappeared and there remains a real risk of damage to business confidence”.

 

On contingency plans for the future, Haviland added:

 

“The Prime Minister has said he does not want to take any backward steps as we emerge from the pandemic and firms welcome this. But our research shows that almost two in five businesses cite concerns about possible future lockdowns as a barrier to restarting or returning to pre-pandemic levels. This rises to 50% for business-to-consumer facing firms such as hospitality and retail.

 

“We know sectors such as hospitality, catering and events have been particularly badly hit. To give firms the confidence to fully reopen the Government must set out contingency plans for any future virus response, the circumstances under which they would be used, and the support it would provide businesses impacted.

Sharon Smith, Chief Executive of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said:

 

“The proposals set out by the Prime Minister provide the light at the end of the tunnel and a return to normality after such a difficult period for many businesses.

 

“There are however a number of areas still yet to be clarified that will need to be explained to provide businesses with confidence moving forward.

 

“Plans on keeping testing for workplaces free, self-isolation rules and international travel will need to be laid out along with any contingency plans for any future roadblocks and any support made available to businesses if this were the case.

 

“We would urge the government to meet the full reopening of the economy with caution and consider a responsive approach, with financial support beginning to wind down and loan repayments due, businesses are far from in the clear when it comes to their confidence to operate and ability to support cash reserves and may need more help from the government to keep them afloat.”

What am I allowed to do across the UK at the moment?

Exact rules may vary between nations and – in Scotland – between areas:

Who can I meet at the moment?

Rules vary for each UK nation:

  • In England, groups of up to 30 can meet outdoors and six people or two households can meet indoors(and stay overnight)
  • In Wales, three households can form an extended household and mix in private homes; up to 30 people can meet outdoors in a public place or private garden; up to six people from six households (not including under-11s) can meet inside pubs and restaurants
  • In Northern Ireland, up to six people from two households can meet in private homes (and stay overnight) and 15 people (including children) from no more than five households can meet in private gardens

 

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