COVID-19: UK govt lifts restrictions in England, health experts warn of surge in cases

As the British government on July 19, Monday, lifted coronavirus pandemic restrictions in England, several scientists and opposition parties slammed the move and called it a dangerous leap into the unknown. Under the new rules, nightclubs are now allowed to open and other indoor venues are allowed to run at full capacity. Though legal mandates covering the wearing of face masks and working from home have also been scrapped, PM Boris Johnson has urged the public to remain prudent. 

"If we don't do it now, then we'll be opening up in the autumn, the winter months, when the virus has the advantage of the cold weather," the prime minister said in a video message.

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. 

But medics have warned that even if Britain is suffering far fewer deaths than in previous waves, such a caseload would still put severe pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) and risks seeding new variants. In an interview with BBC, senior Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt, a former health secretary, said the government should learn from Israel and the Netherlands, which have been forced to reverse recent relaxations. "The warning light on the NHS dashboard is not flashing amber, it is flashing red," Hunt said. 

Over 87% adults received first dose of vaccine 

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 mass vaccination drive. 

According to the health ministry, 87.8 per cent of adults have received the first jab of the vaccine so far, while two-thirds of adults would be inoculated with both doses of the COVID vaccine by Monday. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, despite having both doses of vaccine, says he is experiencing mild symptoms, following which Johnson will spend 10 days in self-isolation after coming in contact with the former on Friday.

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