Covid: Most rules set to end in England. “The success of the vaccine means England can begin to look beyond restrictions” says Boris Johnson
The vaccine is very important in alleviating the effect of the virus on those who become infected with it. But the vaccine does not prevent infection with the virus and does not prevent the infection of others through those who are vaccinated who carry the virus.
What does Boris Johnson really mean when he defines the failure of the restrictions he has imposed on an entire country as a success?
Removing the restrictions although the vaccine does not prevent the transmission of the disease, and in at least half of the cases does not prevent the morbidity and hospitalization from the vaccinated themselves, it is an essential step for the economy, society and sanity.
What is not clear is why in the first place an entire country had to be imprisoned because of the same problems that exist even after the vaccine.
The vaccine alleviates the effect of the virus on the vaccinated but does not prevent carrying the virus and infecting others. In most vaccinated countries, half of those hospitalized as a result of the virus are those who have been fully vaccinated twice. So defining the vaccine as a success certainly fits the British practice of saying in words exactly the opposite of what is meant.
The Corona virus is truly a great success for a prime minister who managed to steal 160,000 pounds of taxpayer money to renovate his private apartment illegally. The virus is certainly a success for the health minister who purchased millions of pounds without a tender for medical equipment from a company in which he is a shareholder. But for most UK residents the closure and restrictions indicate the government’s failure to deal with the disease and the public’s failure to trust politicians who understand nothing about running a country, city or even just a grocery store.
The new old norm:
Face masks will no longer be legally required and distancing rules will be scrapped at the final stage of England's Covid lockdown roadmap, Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The rule of six inside private homes will be removed and work-from-home guidance abolished as 16 months of on-off restrictions on daily life end.
The PM said he expected the final step would go ahead as planned on 19 July.
This will be confirmed on 12 July after a review of the latest data.
Further updates on school bubbles, travel and self-isolation will follow in the coming days, Mr Johnson told a Downing Street news conference.
He said that even after the removal of the legal requirement to wear a face covering, he would continue to wear one himself in crowded places "as a courtesy".
Mr Johnson said the ability to end a vast majority of legal restrictions in England was thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout in breaking the link between cases and deaths.
But he warned cases were predicted to rise to 50,000 a day later this month and that "we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid".
The prime minister explained: "If we don't go ahead now when we've clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link... when would we go ahead?"
He added: "We run the risk of either opening up at a very difficult time when the virus has an edge, has an advantage, in the cold months, or again putting everything off to next year."
Self-isolation orders for those who test positive would continue, Mr Johnson said, but he suggested there would soon be new rules for fully-vaccinated contacts.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs he would probably make an announcement regarding a new regime for close contacts on Tuesday.
No country in the world has attempted to lift restrictions like this - in the face of rapidly rising cases driven by the new, more infectious Delta variant.
Some say it would be better to wait until autumn when all adults will have had the chance to get a second vaccine dose.
That may sound good in principle, but the bulk of scientific opinion seems to be backing a summer lifting.
Unlocking was always going to drive up infections. And the problem with trying to delay that is the risk of a surge in cases at a much worse time.
By the autumn schools will be back - and we can see the huge disruption the rise in cases in recent weeks has had.
People will also be outdoors more in the summer months, which could help flatten the peak.
But perhaps most importantly you risk running into the flu season.
That is when the NHS is under most pressure, while a Covid infection followed by flu in quick succession puts the vulnerable even more at risk.
The move is not without risk. The government is banking on the wall of immunity built up by the vaccination programme stemming these rises soon.
Removing the restrictions although the vaccine does not prevent the transmission of the disease, and in at least half of the cases does not prevent the morbidity and hospitalization from the vaccinated themselves, it is an essential step for the economy, society and sanity.
What is not clear is why in the first place an entire country had to be imprisoned because of the same problems that exist even after the vaccine.
The vaccine alleviates the effect of the virus on the vaccinated but does not prevent carrying the virus and infecting others. In most vaccinated countries, half of those hospitalized as a result of the virus are those who have been fully vaccinated twice. So defining the vaccine as a success certainly fits the British practice of saying in words exactly the opposite of what is meant.
The Corona virus is truly a great success for a prime minister who managed to steal 160,000 pounds of taxpayer money to renovate his private apartment illegally. The virus is certainly a success for the health minister who purchased millions of pounds without a tender for medical equipment from a company in which he is a shareholder. But for most UK residents the closure and restrictions indicate the government’s failure to deal with the disease and the public’s failure to trust politicians who understand nothing about running a country, city or even just a grocery store.
The new old norm:
Face masks will no longer be legally required and distancing rules will be scrapped at the final stage of England's Covid lockdown roadmap, Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The rule of six inside private homes will be removed and work-from-home guidance abolished as 16 months of on-off restrictions on daily life end.
The PM said he expected the final step would go ahead as planned on 19 July.
This will be confirmed on 12 July after a review of the latest data.
Further updates on school bubbles, travel and self-isolation will follow in the coming days, Mr Johnson told a Downing Street news conference.
He said that even after the removal of the legal requirement to wear a face covering, he would continue to wear one himself in crowded places "as a courtesy".
Mr Johnson said the ability to end a vast majority of legal restrictions in England was thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout in breaking the link between cases and deaths.
But he warned cases were predicted to rise to 50,000 a day later this month and that "we must reconcile ourselves, sadly, to more deaths from Covid".
The prime minister explained: "If we don't go ahead now when we've clearly done so much with the vaccination programme to break the link... when would we go ahead?"
He added: "We run the risk of either opening up at a very difficult time when the virus has an edge, has an advantage, in the cold months, or again putting everything off to next year."
Self-isolation orders for those who test positive would continue, Mr Johnson said, but he suggested there would soon be new rules for fully-vaccinated contacts.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs he would probably make an announcement regarding a new regime for close contacts on Tuesday.
No country in the world has attempted to lift restrictions like this - in the face of rapidly rising cases driven by the new, more infectious Delta variant.
Some say it would be better to wait until autumn when all adults will have had the chance to get a second vaccine dose.
That may sound good in principle, but the bulk of scientific opinion seems to be backing a summer lifting.
Unlocking was always going to drive up infections. And the problem with trying to delay that is the risk of a surge in cases at a much worse time.
By the autumn schools will be back - and we can see the huge disruption the rise in cases in recent weeks has had.
People will also be outdoors more in the summer months, which could help flatten the peak.
But perhaps most importantly you risk running into the flu season.
That is when the NHS is under most pressure, while a Covid infection followed by flu in quick succession puts the vulnerable even more at risk.
The move is not without risk. The government is banking on the wall of immunity built up by the vaccination programme stemming these rises soon.