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© Reuters. File photo: On June 21, 2021, during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Manchester, UK, people wear protective masks as they walk through the city center. REUTERS/Phil Noble
Authors: Alistair Smout and William James
LONDON (Reuters)-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out a plan on Monday to end England’s social and economic COVID-19 restrictions within two weeks to test whether the introduction of a rapid vaccine can provide adequate protection against heights. Infectious variant of Delta.
Johnson confirmed that the government’s goal is to end the restrictive measures on July 19, and the final decision will be made next week. He said this step would remove formal restrictions on social contact, instructions for working from home, and the requirement to wear masks.
After imposing the most stringent restrictions on the United Kingdom’s peacetime fight against the new coronavirus, Johnson bet that the vaccination plan would weaken the link between infection and hospitalization and prevent health services from being affected by the new wave of COVID-19.
According to the plan, nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, and the capacity of reception venues will be unlimited. The social distancing criteria will be cancelled.
“We must be honest with ourselves. If we can’t reopen our society in the next few weeks, we will be helped by summer and school holidays. Then we must ask ourselves when we can come back normally?” Johnson in the news Said at the press conference.
“We will get rid of legal restrictions and let people make their own wise decisions on how to manage the virus.”
The Johnson government sets health policies for England, but not for Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
The United Kingdom has the seventh-largest global death toll due to COVID-19, and Johnson has been accused of slowing the implementation of the three lockdown measures in England.
But according to government data, as of Monday, the number of people vaccinated in the UK has been strong, with 86% of adults receiving the first dose and 64% of adults receiving two doses.
Data from Public Health England indicate that these vaccines are very effective in preventing serious illnesses or hospitalizations caused by Delta variants, especially after two doses.
The blockade is over
Johnson also stated that people under the age of 40 will be invited to have a second COVID-19 injection 8 weeks after the first injection instead of 12 weeks after the first injection, so that they will be in line with the 40-plus-year-old policy.
He added that although he believes this is the best time to end the restrictions, people should still be cautious and resume containment measures if necessary.
Johnson said: “I don’t want people to feel that this is a time to make people happy… It’s still far from the end of the response to this virus.”
“Obviously, if we do find another variant that does not respond to the vaccine… then it is clear that we will have to take whatever measures we need to take to protect the public.”
Opposition Labor Party leader Kil Starmer criticized the plan and said that some legal measures should be retained, such as requiring masks to be worn on public transportation.
“It would be reckless to simply give up all protective measures when the infection rate is rising,” he told the broadcaster.
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