Johnson, preparing to relax English rules, says pandemic is not over yet Reuters

Costas Pitas and Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters)-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will urge caution on Monday as he confirms that he plans to remove almost all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in England from July 19, despite the surge in cases over several months The highest level.

Last week, Johnson made recommendations to abolish masks and social contact rules, as well as instructions to work from home as much as possible, which he called the “one-way road to freedom.” He will announce his final decision at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

“The global pandemic is not over yet,” he said in a statement released later on Sunday.

“As we unlock, the number of cases will increase, so when we confirm our plan today, our message will be clear. Caution is absolutely essential, and we must all take responsibility so as not to disrupt our progress.”

The UK has implemented one of the fastest vaccination programs in the world, with more than 87% of adults receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 66% of adults receiving two doses.

The government argues that even with the surge in cases, the number of deaths and hospitalizations is still far lower than the previous facts prove that vaccines are saving lives and that opening up is safer.

Nonetheless, there has been an alarming surge in the number of infections in recent weeks, reaching the highest level since winter, and some epidemiologists have expressed concern that the 2020 European Football Championship may help drive this rise.

The UK ranks 20th in the world in terms of reported deaths per capita https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?tab=table&zoomToSelection=true&time=2020-03-01..latest&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed +deaths&Interval =Cumulative&Relative+to+Population=true&Align+outbreaks=false From COVID-19, another 31,772 cases of COVID-19 and 26 deaths within 28 days after a positive test were reported on Sunday, an increase of 31% and 44% respectively for a week space.

On Sunday, London’s Wembley Stadium hosted the final between England and Italy. Large crowds gathered in London, including around the stadium. According to reports, some people entered the game without tickets, joining more than 60,000 people with tickets.

“Should I enjoy watching the transmission happening before my eyes?” World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove tweeted late in the game.

“The #COVID19 pandemic will not rest tonight…#SARSCoV2 #DeltaVariant will use unvaccinated people to scream/yell/sing in a crowded environment without a mask. It is devastating. ”

Johnson said last week that the legal requirement to wear masks in indoor public places will end, although Vaccine Minister Nadim Zahavi said on Sunday that the guidelines will stipulate that “people should wear masks in closed indoor spaces,” he said.

Johnson’s office said that the green light for lifting restrictions depends on meeting four tests: getting enough people, vaccines that reduce hospitalizations and deaths, no pressure in hospitals, and mutations that don’t pose too much risk.