British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given a press conference from Downing Street in which he detailed the next steps which would be taken to release the UK from all Covid 19 restrictions. He stated that even though the number of cases of the virus had slowly been increasing due to the Delta variant, first detected in India, more people have been able to get two doses of a recommended Covid vaccine in order to give them full protection against some of the most severe symptoms of the virus. The number of people having had to have been admitted to hospital due to their symptoms had also increased, however the number of people who died due to the virus had fallen which proves that the vaccine works and some of the scare stories that have been appearing online etc. are not true.
It is expected that enough people will have been double jabbed by the nineteenth July to allow the UK to move on to step four of the road map to releasing the lock down. This will allow many more restrictions to be eased and let people regain more of their freedom in order to return society back to normality. Some of the changes to the current restrictions will include:
There will no longer be a legal requirement for all people to wear masks or face coverings when out in public or visiting different sorts of businesses. Instead people will be required to exercise their own personal judgement and knowledge e.g. if someone goes to a location which already has quite a few people, it is a sensible precaution for them to wear a face mask as it will be more difficult to practice social distancing and allow for plenty of ventilation in the area to avoid the virus spreading easily from person to person.
From July 19th, all restrictions on the number of people you can have in one area will be removed meaning that people will be able to go to different locations and socialise in groups larger than six people. There will also be a relaxation on the number of people who will be able to gather outdoors. This is currently thirty people but once restrictions are removed, people will be able to gather in larger groups and attend events such as sporting events with more ease.
Social distancing will also end meaning that people will no longer have to remain at least two metres away from other people at all times. Instead they should continue to use their own common sense and personal judgement as to whether or not they think it is safe to go in to a crowded location etc. If someone has to go in to a location where a lot of people are, it is sensible for them to take precautions such as wearing a face mask etc.
The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said: “The legal requirement for face coverings will be removed, although guidance will suggest where you might choose to do so, such as in enclosed and crowded spaces.”
But one of Britain’s top scientists has argued that we should continue to wear our masks indoors as a mark of respect to colleagues.
Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate and director of the Francis Crick Institute, agreed that the right balance to strike was for the Government to open up society on July 19 but for people to wear face coverings in indoor settings and on public transport.
“Just going sort of rather gung-ho, opening up completely – a problem with that is, is that isn’t just you. You have to respect the your colleagues, and I think just relying on… individual judgement of what they should be doing – they may just think too much about themselves and not about the people that they could potentially infect”, he said.
People can also start returning to work on location or in offices as restrictions will have been removed which allow more people to be in certain facilities such as gyms etc. Suitable precautions will have to be taken though to ensure that everyone remains safe and can sanitise their hands regularly to help avoid spreading the virus.
There are however concerns as to those who are considered medically vulnerable will feel comfortable returning to the office or to places where they may catch the infection more easily. Allowances may have to be made to help incorporate these people back in to employment and help them adjust back to the normal way of life.
With millions of workers now adjusted to remote working, demands from employers for them to return to the office five days a week is likely to lead to tensions and could even trigger a wave of legal challenges.
In particular, there are concerns over whether medically vulnerable people could be forced to return to the office against their will.
It comes as 50 business leaders including BT, Capita, Heathrow and Gatwick chief executives urged ministers to end working from home as the default position to “set the country clearly on the path to recovery” by encouraging people to return to the office.
If people go to a pub, they will now be able to order their drinks and snacks at the bar instead of having to rely on table service which can be more time consuming and take up more space at the location. People will also feel more at ease as they will be able to have a chat at the bar to help ensure they maintain connections with people they may know.
Nightclubs will also be allowed to open again meaning that local businesses will start to pick up and help strengthen the economy.
People may be required to provide proof that they have been double jabbed when attending certain locations or events. This is to help ensure that there aren’t any unexpected outbreaks of the virus which may cause a sudden explosion in cases. An eye will be kept on how society adjusts to see if any other restrictions will need to be brought in.
