British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to end the economic and social restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom in the next two weeks.

The decision has been taken with the aim of testing whether rapid vaccine rollouts have offered sufficient protection from the most recent and highly contagious Delta variant.

Prime Minister Johnson stated that the government plans to remove the restrictive measures on July 19, with a final pronouncement to be made next week. He also said that the step would end all formal regulations on social contact, requirements to work from home, and mandates on using face masks.

There will be no limits on capacity in the hospitality sector and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen with all social distancing guidelines being scrapped.

Johnson was also quoted saying that the country will stop imposing legal restrictions and allow the people to make informed decisions to cope with the virus.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is betting that the vaccination program, which has brought down the rates of hospital admissions linked with infections, will prevent the health service industry from being overburdened by another new wave of infections.

It is also worth noting that Britain has recorded the world’s seventh-highest death toll from COVID-19, and Johnson has been heavily criticized for not being prompt enough to implement the lockdowns.

However, vaccine rollouts have been highly efficient in the country, with 86% of adults already being administered their first dose, and 64% received two doses as of this week.

These figures provided by Public Health England have revealed that vaccines are considered effective in preventing the Delta variant from causing hospitalizations or severe illness.

In the meantime, over five million Britons who have taken the Indian-made AstraZeneca jab might face restrictions on travel to European countries, as the vaccine has not been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), cited sources with knowledge of the matter.

Source Links –

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-k-pm-johnson-outlines-end-england-s-virus-restrictions-n1273088