Johnson Says Lifting U.K. Covid Curbs Very Likely on July 19

(Bloomberg) -- England is “very likely” to see the end of pandemic restrictions on July 19, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

Despite a surge in infections of the new delta variant, hospitalization and death rates remain relatively low as the U.K.’s vaccine program progresses, he said.

Johnson effectively confirmed there will not be an early release from England’s social-distancing rules on July 5, which was an option if data on the pandemic had been good enough.

He said it is “sensible” to take a few more weeks to analyze the infection patterns and deliver more second vaccine doses before lifting the curbs.

“With every day that goes by it’s clearer to me and all our scientific advisers that we’re very likely to be in a position on July 19 to say that really is the terminus, and we can go back to life as it was before Covid as far as possible,” Johnson told reporters Monday.

The new Health Secretary Sajid Javid is due to set out the government’s position in more detail in Parliament on Monday.

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