On Monday, the English Government will ease covid-19 restrictions for what has been hailed as ‘Freedom Day’.
The government will drop nearly all Covid restrictions as it plans to move to step four in England, despite a rising rate of infections in the partially vaccinated population.
The easing of legal restrictions will only take effect in England on Monday, and not the rest of the UK.
From Monday, all legal limits on social distancing will be removed, and there will be no limits on the number of people gathering in one place.
Remaining businesses that have been closed due to the pandemic, such as nightclubs, will be allowed to reopen, and restrictions on large events will be removed.
This means events such as festivals, sports, live music, theatre and weddings can resume in England from Monday.
Wearing face masks in shops will also no longer be a legal requirement, however, guidance published by the English government said it “expects and recommends” people to still comply with wearing a mask in crowded, enclosed spaces.
Boris Johnson has acknowledged that a wave of infections and deaths when the restrictions end are inevitable, but said more harm would come from keeping the economy closed.
The government initially planned on moving to step four of the reopening plan earlier in June, but decided to hold off reopening for a month to allow more people to be vaccinated due to the spread of the Delta variant.
However, easing restrictions amid rising infections has raised concerns with scientists and researchers who say reopening society could risk new variants emerging, and risk the health of those who are not vaccinated.
Health Minister Sajid Javid – who is today self-isolating after contracting Covid - said cases could hit 100,000 a day, and over 1,000 scientists have signed a letter condemning the government’s reopening plans.
The reopening of England has received strong criticism from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE). The group warned that contingency plans need to be drawn up to help the NHS cope with surging case numbers.
Meanwhile in Ireland, the Government has received strong criticism for its reopening plans as it begins to ease restrictions.
Indoor dining is targeted to resume on Monday July 26 to those who are fully vaccinated and have a Covid Digital Certificate, with the exception of children.
Outdoor events can go ahead with a maximum of 200 people, while 500 people can attend venues with a capacity of 5,000 or more with protective measures in place.
