The one metre-plus edict, the work from home order,mandatory mask-wearing and table service only in pubs will all come to an end on the 19th July in England as the Prime Minister set out out how Covid rules will end on the 19th July.
The Prime Minister set out his five point plan in a televised news conference where he said that the link between the disease and severe disease and death has been broken.
Boris Johnson said that the pandemic certainly won’t be over by the 19th, adding that cases are still rising rapidly and some 50,000 daily infections are predicted by Freedom Day on 19 July.
However the government is on track to meet its vaccination targets and the jabs remain effective.
“We must be honest with ourselves if we can’t reopen society in the next few weeks… when will we be able to return to normal?” he told the press conference.
From the 19th July, all businesses will be able to reopen, including nightclubs, all legal limits on indoor and outdoor meetings will go along with the one-metre rule on social distancing will go.
The legal obligation to wear a face covering will go. Instead, guidance will be issued on when people are advised to wear them and people will no longer be told to work from home.
Self-isolation will continue for people but those fully vaccinated people will be exempt if a contact tests positive.Test and Trace will continue, as well as self-isolation for COVID cases and their contacts. However, there will be exemptions for people who are fully vaccinated if they come into contact with a COVID case.
Professor Chris Whitty says it’s not clear yet whether vaccines can prevent long COVID in those who still catch the virus. However, he says that vaccines can prevent people catching COVID “in a very high proportion of cases” and if there are lots of people vaccinated, this reduces the risk of transmission in the community.
Profesoor Whitty said that he would wear a mask in three places.Firstly where he would be in close proximity indoors and where the person he was with felt uncomfortable and thirdly where it was mandatory
