COVID-19: England announces 'freedom day' from pandemic life despite surge in cases

The United Kingdom on July 19, Monday, announced “freedom day” from the pandemic life as England lifted almost all the remaining COVID-19 restrictions in the country, even though virus cases have been rising. According to new rules, wearing a mask is no longer mandatory, however, it is recommended in public transport and shops. Offices can call on employees to work from the office and stadiums and large performance halls have also been allowed to operate at full capacity. There are no restrictions in discos, pubs, and bars, while indoor masks are also not required.

The easing of restrictions comes amid a time when there has been an increase in the number of infected people in the county. Britain has recorded over 54.3 lakh cases and 1.29 lakh deaths with an average of 40 thousand fresh daily cases since the past week. It is noteworthy that England has reported approximately 44,000 new cases on July 18. As of Sunday, the country reported 48,161 new cases.

Ahead of the “freedom day”, UK PM Boris Johnsons urged people to be vigilant in the current situation when the country is witnessing a steep surge in infections. He has put his faith in vaccines. He also expects that if the vaccines prove to be effective, this could also be a landmark example of how other fully vaccinated countries could deal with surging Covid-19 infections. According to the local media, Johnson's decision to discard regulations is intending to restart the dwindling economy.

Experts warn of surge in cases 

However, with rise in coronavirus cases, economists and scientists slammed the move and called it a dangerous leap into the unknown. Echoing experts who say the reopening endangers global health, Jonathan Ashworth, the opposition Labour party's health spokesman, reportedly said that the government was being “reckless”. While speaking to BBC, Ashworth said that England is opening up without any precautions in place, attacking in particular the government’s plan on masks. 

Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London also warned that Britain was on course for 100,000 cases a day, as the Delta variant of COVID-19 runs out of control. While speaking to the media outlet, Ferguson said that the country could get to 2,000 hospitalisations a day and 200,000 cases a day. However, after the success of the vaccination programme, the government has said that any risks to hospital care are manageable. 

Meanwhile, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, has warned of a “bumpy winter” ahead. It is worth noting that the United Kingdom has recorded more than 50,000 daily cases for the third day running. According to the health ministry, the rate of hospitalisation and deaths are also soaring due to the delta variant of COVID-19. However, it maintained that it remains far lower than previous infection peaks due to a mass vaccination drive.

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