Boris Johnson to axe face masks, social distancing in UK later this month: Report

British residents will no longer require face coverings and social distancing after Freedom Day that is 19 July, a report by Telegraph said. This comes as PM Boris Johnson is understood to be preparing to ease the last remaining COVID restrictions in England later this month. The decision has raised eyebrows as the UK is still hammered by coronavirus and experts are expecting the Delta variant to become the dominant strain.

The Telegraph also reported that the Prime Minister prepares to declare this week that the link between COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations has finally been broken. Additionally, Johnson is also expected to lay out a blueprint for how England will live with the virus. It is imperative to note that Matt Hancock, who strongly advocated stringent restriction resigned last month and his successor Sajid Javid is reportedly keener to fully reopen the economy.

More than 4 million infected 

According to the latest tally by worldometers 4,879,616 people in the UK have contracted coronavirus, out of whom 128,207 have lost their lives while 4,332,181 have recovered. Despite virus cases rising, the number of deaths remains relatively low in a highly vaccinated population, so the pressure is building to return to normality. While most of the restrictions were lifted in May, starting July 19, masks would become voluntary across the UK, according to Sunday Times.

As Britain continues to push for cent per cent immunisation, a top infectious disease expert has warned that individuals who are not vaccinated against COVID do not only risk their own health but are also “potential variant factories” that could jeopardize other’s wellbeing. Speaking to CNN, Dr William Schaffner, a professor in the division of Infectious Disease at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre clarified that the only source of the new COVID variant is the body of an infected person. Therefore, he said, the more unvaccinated people, the more opportunities for the SARS-CoV-2 to multiply.

Since its outbreak in December 2019, the coronavirus has spiralled to infect 184,247,578 people, out of whom 3,987,466 have lost their lives while 168,626,098 have recovered. The pathogen has also mutated into Alpha, Beta, Gama and Delta variants, which are more transmissible than the original strain. The most recent Delta variant has already affected 98 countries and continues to evolve, according to United Nations.

Image: AP