London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 06, 2025

Britain’s ‘Freedom Day’: Why easing of coronavirus restrictions may be delayed

Britain’s ‘Freedom Day’: Why easing of coronavirus restrictions may be delayed

Rapid spread of Delta variant hits lockdown end by at least a month; honour for Oxford vaccine scientist -- Prof. Sarah Gilbert
The Oxford vaccine has received a vote of confidence from the British government, with Prof. Sarah Gilbert, one of the scientists behind its creation, recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list published on Saturday.

Although it has been linked with blood clotting in rare cases, the news will be a welcome relief to the Serum Institute of India which has a tie-up with Oxford University and the British-Swedish pharma giant, AstraZeneca, to manufacture the vaccine under licence at its plant in Pune.

But on Saturday there was a dark lining to a silver cloud — it looks as though the spread of the Delta variant has been so rapid in the UK that the lifting of the remaining lockdown restrictions planned for June 21 will have to be delayed by at least a month.

The final stage of lifting lockdown would see all legal limits on social contact removed. Nightclubs would reopen, and there would be an end to restrictions on performances, weddings and other live events.

Among those who have called for the government to slow down the process is the influential Indian-origin chairman of the British Medical Association who represents the nation’s doctors.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “It’s not just about the number of hospitalisations, but also the risk to the health of large numbers of younger people, who can suffer long-term symptoms.”

The BBC said the “government is considering delaying the lifting of England’s remaining Covid restrictions by up to four weeks”, but the Daily Telegraph led with: “June 21 unlocking called off”.

It reported: “The Prime Minister will tell the country on Monday that the latest data on the spread of the …Delta variant of the coronavirus means it is too risky to go ahead as planned.” The Daily Mail agreed with its front page splash: “Freedom Day is set to be delayed before all Covid curbs are eased.”

Although vaccination roll out continues apace, the latest data is not encouraging. The “Delta variant first identified in India” now accounts for nine in 10 coronavirus cases in the UK. It is roughly 60 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha — or Kent — variant, according to Public Health England.

The analysis also found people infected by the Delta variant are twice as likely to end up in hospital as those with the one from Kent.

However, the data suggests nearly two-thirds of people infected with the Delta variant have not had a single dose of a Covid vaccine. Officials stress that two doses of the vaccine provide significantly more protection than one. This intelligence is vital for India since one dose offers limited protection — around “33 per cent” — against the variant.

On Friday vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was important to take a careful approach, adding: “We don’t want to squander those hard-fought gains that we have made through the vaccination programme.”

A delay of a month would mean a higher proportion of the population would have been given both doses of the vaccine. In the UK, which has a population of 67 million, there is still some way to go — 41m have had one dose, while 30m have had both doses.

This year the Queen’s birthday honours list goes out of its way to recognise those who have made a difference during the pandemic.

Gilbert, who was optimistic from the start that a vaccine would be found and quickly has been rewarded with a damehood, a high honour in British society.

Gilbert said she was “humbled to receive this honour. I have worked in the development of vaccines against infectious pathogens for many years and in the last 17 months have been able to draw on all that I have learned in order to respond to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

“I have been so fortunate to work with a very talented and dedicated team who made it possible to develop a vaccine in less time than anyone thought possible.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
×