Freedom day: Boris Johnson confirms big bang shedding of Covid restrictions for 19 July
Boris Johnson has confirmed there will be a big bang shedding of Covid restrictions in England, with mass events set to return without social distancing or face masks from 19 July for so-called freedom day.
Johnson said the government will be imposing very few Covid restrictions from now on and will instead rely on people to use their own judgement to stay safe.
This is set be from 19 July, however the date will have to be confirmed by the Prime Minister next Monday.
The cap on mass events, the one-metre plus rule, mandatory face masks and the rule of six at hospitality venues are all set to go as a part of the easing of restrictions.
All businesses will now be allowed to open and the government’s working from advice will also be dropped, however it will leave it to employers to organise working patterns.
The announcement means Premier League matches, night clubs events and music festivals can go ahead without restrictions from 19 July as things stand, while people will no longer have to order sitting down at pubs and restaurants.
Johnson said freedom day is set to come, despite surging infections across the country, as data shows that vaccination has largely severed the link between Covid cases and deaths.
“We have to balance the risks, the risks of the disease which the vaccinations have reduced, but very far from eliminated, and the risks of continuing legally enforced restrictions which are taking a toll on people’s lives and livelihoods, health and mental health,” Johnson said.
“If we can’t open our society in the next few weeks…we must ask ourselves when will be be able to return to normal?”
Social distancing will remain in place for people self-isolating with Covid and at airports.
There will also be further announcements around whether fully vaccinated people will have to quarantine when entering the UK or self-isolate when pinged by the NHS Covid-19 app this week.
Responding to today’s announcement, UKHospitality chief Kate Nicholls said: “This progress is testament to the constructive and positive work that we have undertaken with government, to pave the way for this timely handing over of responsibility, shifting from enforced legal requirements to an onus on personal and business responsibilities, to ensure that we continue to safeguard our staff and customers in the tried and tested ways we know work best.”
Face masks
The government will also advise people that face masks are a good idea in crowded indoor spaces, such as public transport, but they will not be a legal requirement.
The decision to scrap the legal mandate for face masks has been particularly contentious, with some political leaders and businesses calling for it to remain.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he wanted face masks to remain as a legal requirement on public transport, but that he would not force people to wear them on Transport for London (TfL) services.
“TfL will have discussions with other train operating companies and the DfT about next steps and how to ensure passengers have the confidence to use public transport, which we know is a vital part of kickstarting London’s economy and supporting businesses as we recover from this pandemic,” he said.
The Prime Minister said “we want to do is people to exercise their personal responsibility”, but to “remember the value of face covering to protect themselves and others”.
He also confirmed that he will wear masks in crowded indoor areas.
“I think what we’re trying to do is move from a universal government diktat to relying on people’s personal responsibility,” he said.
“There’s a big difference between travelling on a crowded Tube train and sitting late at night at a virtual empty carriage on the main railway line.”
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said he would wear a face mask in crowded indoor situations, if required to by a “competent authority” and if someone else was uncomfortable if he didn’t wear a mask out of “common courtesy”.
Covid passports and the NHS Covid-19 app
Johnson said the government decided not to impose mandatory Covid passports for mass events or for the hospitality sector, however they will be available for businesses to use if they want.
This will be available through the NHS Covid-19 app.
The app will also still be used for NHS Test and Trace, with a legal requirement still in place for people who test positive for Covid-19.
There will also still be a legal requirement for people to self-isolate if they have been in contact with a Covid positive person and are pinged by the app.
Ally Wolf, the manager of the Clapham Grand music venue in south London, said more needed to be done to help workers that are self-isolating with Covid.
“We welcome the government’s decision to reopen on 19 July with open arms but we are worried we won’t actually be able to do it with an open venue if something isn’t done about the isolation policy for people that are contacted through the track and trace app,” he said.
‘Very difficult’ winter for the NHS
Covid cases are surging across the UK, with the more transmissible Delta variant ripping through the country.
There have been 178,128 cases in the past seven days – a 53 per cent weekly rise.
However, hospitalisations and deaths have only seen relatively small increases as the number of people with two jabs continues to rise.
Sixty-four percent of adult Britons are fully vaccinated, while 86 per cent of adults have received one dose.
Data shows that two Covid vaccines are 96 per cent successful at stopping Covid-19 hospitalisation.
“As the days have gone by it has become very clear that the vaccines are indeed successful, with the majority of people admitted to hospital now unvaccinated,” Johnson said.
Whitty said winter might get “very difficult” for the NHS due to Covid and other respiratory diseases, which have been suppressed by restrictions.
He also said the Delta variant “makes life more tricky” as it is far more transmissible and no one at the press conference completely ruled out a return of restrictions if need be.
Sir Keir Starmer said today’s big bang announcement is “reckless”.
“We all want the restrictions to be lifted and we are going to have to find a way of living with the virus, but that can’t just be a sound bite,” he told the BBC.
“We need a balanced approach, we need to keep key protections in place, including masks, including ventilation and crucially…proper payments for people when they self-isolate.”