UK PM Boris Johnson confirms COVID-19 lockdown rules in England to end on July 19

England will ease all coronavirus restrictions on July 19, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday confirmed, giving his so-called "terminus date” for when he plans to lift all COVID-19 instated measures safely, with a note of caution. “This pandemic is not over,” UK PM warned as the country expected another wave from the highly contagious Delta variant to strike around mid-August. Scientists in the UK have predicted a record 2,000 hospital admissions per day, reports suggest. The death toll projection stands at 100 and 200 fatalities per day at the time of the peak. 

Despite the looming fears of another major outbreak, Johnson on July 12 declared that he would still go ahead with the government’s plans for “reopening’, although he stressed the need for the public to remain vigilant. Highlighting the threats of the now dominant SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 lineage, that wreaked havoc on the healthcare systems during India’s second wave, UK’s Prime Minister stated that the pandemic still poses a threat. 

"This pandemic is not over. It continues to carry risks for you and your family, we cannot instantly revert to life as it was before COVID from July 19,” the British PM said at a virtual briefing at 10 Downing Street, London. His health secretary, Sajid Javid, rather stressed that the UK’s rigorous vaccination campaign had formed a "protective wall,” indicating that the summer wave won’t be just as bad. Johnson, however, told a Downing Street press conference that COVID-19 continues to pose risks for Brits and their families. 

"We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday, July 19 to life as it was before Covid," UK PM Boris Johnson said. He added, “in order to have that, it has also got to be a cautious approach”.

No masks, no limited capacity at venues

As the UK prepares to lift restrictions on July 19, the legal mask mandate is expected to be removed, but the health secretary still recommends masks be worn in crowded indoor settings. For the first time since March 2020, UK’s nightclubs will be allowed to operate at full capacity, meanwhile, all physical distancing norms will be eased. Venues will now accommodate any number of customers for in-house dining, although the UK government "reserves the right" to make COVID-19 vaccination certificates mandatory across the venues, it said in a statement issued after the press conference. People will no longer be required to work from home. There will no longer be limits on the number of people who can attend weddings, civil partnerships, funerals, and other life events, including receptions and celebrations.