Covid: Lockdown easing in England delayed to 19 July

PA Media

The final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in England is to be delayed until 19 July, the PM has said.

It means most remaining curbs on social contact will continue beyond 21 June, when they had been due to be lifted.

The limit on wedding guest numbers will be removed but venues will still have to adhere to other rules.

Boris Johnson said there would be a review after two weeks and he was "confident" the delay would not need to be longer than four weeks.

"We will monitor the position every day and if, after two weeks, we have concluded that the risk has diminished then we reserve the possibility of proceeding to step four, and a full opening, sooner," he told a Downing Street news conference.

Scientists advising the government had warned there could be a "significant resurgence" in people needing hospital treatment for Covid-19 if stage four of easing the lockdown went ahead on 21 June.

It comes amid rising cases, driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, which was first identified in India.

Mr Johnson said that going ahead with stage four on 21 June would mean "a real possibility that the virus will outrun the vaccines and that thousands more deaths would ensue which could otherwise have been avoided".

The delay would give the NHS "a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them", he said.

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Although the number of guests at weddings and wakes will no longer be limited to 30, a number of restrictions on these events will remain.

Venues will have to adhere to social distancing and hosts will have to do a risk assessment.

Table service will be required - with six people per table - and no indoor dance floors will be allowed.

A dance floor outside would be advised against but the legal restrictions would only applies to indoor dancing.

Fifteen coronavirus pilot events will continue as planned before 19 July, including upcoming Euro 2020 games.

The pilots include a mix of indoor, outdoor, seated and unseated events.

But other venues and events must continue to operate with capacity limits and nightclubs must remain closed.

Limits on the number of people who can meet will also remain, with groups of up to 30 allowed to meet outdoors and up to six people or two households allowed to meet indoors.

Advice to work from home where possible will remain in place.

However, some restrictions on care homes will be lifted.

The current recommendation for residents to isolate for 14 days after returning from visits outside the care home will no longer be required.

The extension of restrictions will be put to a Commons vote, which could trigger a sizeable Conservative backbench rebellion.

Subject to final decisions, regulations are expected to be laid in Parliament on Tuesday morning with a debate on Wednesday.

Mr Johnson said that by 19 July, two-thirds of adults would have been offered two coronavirus jabs, including all over-50s, the vulnerable and health and care workers, along with over-40s who had received a first dose by mid-May.

"To do this we will now accelerate the second jabs for those over 40, just as we did for the vulnerable groups, so they get the maximum protection as fast as possible," he added.

The gap between the first and second dose for over-40s in England will be reduced from 12 to eight weeks.

And the target to offer all adults a first dose will be brought forward to 19 July.

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June 15, 2021 at 05:47AM
By Becky Morton
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57476776