London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026

UK On Track To End Lockdown On July 19, Says Health Minister

UK On Track To End Lockdown On July 19, Says Health Minister

We are on track for the opening on July 19 and we will watch vigilantly, we will look at the data in particular at the start of next week, the UK's health minister Matt Hancock told the BBC.
The UK is on track to lift all COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on July 19 as the data on deaths and hospitalisation from coronavirus looks encouraging , the UK's health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

We are on track for the opening on July 19 and we will watch vigilantly, we will look at the data in particular at the start of next week, Hancock told the BBC.

The data over the last week or so has been encouraging, especially looking at the number of people who are dying that is staying very, very low, he said.

His remarks follow UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicating on Monday that things were "looking good" for July 19 to be the "terminus point" for England's coronavirus restrictions, even as he warned of a rough winter ahead.

However, he added that the flu vaccine could be offered alongside a coronavirus booster jab in the autumn to prevent the need for further lockdowns later in the year.

The UK reported 10,633 new coronavirus cases and five more deaths, according to official daily figures released on Monday.

Hancock said the government will be monitoring the data closely next week to make an assessment related to the July timeline for easing all restrictions on gatherings and weddings.

The minister has also indicated that plans to allow quarantine-free travel for people who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are also under consideration as the country looks to ease up lockdown measures, delayed by a month amid a spike in Delta variant infections.

When I'm in a position to be able to say something then we will do. But it's absolutely something we're working on and it's something I want to see, he told Sky News' when asked about allowing vaccinated people freer travel options to countries on the amber list of medium-risk coronavirus countries.

Hancock confirmed the government was "working on plans to essentially allow the vaccine to bring back some of the freedoms that have had to be restricted to keep people safe".

"After all, that's the whole purpose of the vaccination programme, that's why it's so important that every adult goes out and gets the jab," he said.

He also said that the main National Health Service (NHS) app will be "important" in the future, with countries likely to need Britons to prove their vaccination status before entering.

"Six million people have now downloaded the main NHS App and on that you can show whether you have had the jabs," Hancock said.

"It's important because we know other countries are going to say that they want proof that you have been vaccinated before you go. So, when travel opens up, we are going to make sure people have got that ability to prove it," he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Farmers Warn of Crop Losses Following Months of Unseasonal Rainfall
Civil Aviation Authority Launches Review of Regional Airport Operations
Met Office Issues Heat-Health Alert Across Parts of England
National Grid Introduces New Measures to Protect Winter Energy Supply
Northern England Rail Upgrades Receive Additional Government Funding
Wales Advances Green Hydrogen Strategy to Decarbonize Heavy Industry
UK Expands Recruitment Incentives to Address Shortage of STEM Teachers
High Court Opens Door to Climate Liability Claims Against Major Industrial Emitters
Police Service of Northern Ireland Investigates Major Personnel Data Breach
Defense Ministry Overhauls Procurement System to Accelerate AUKUS Submarine Program
Net Migration Remains Above Government Expectations, New Data Shows
UK and Scottish Governments Agree Framework for Expanded North Sea Wind Development
UK Treasury Launches New Tax Incentives to Boost AI and Semiconductor Investment
Bank of England Signals Continued Caution on Interest Rate Cuts
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Digital Modernization Plan Centered on AI Integration
Nebius Opens Major Robotics and Physical AI Laboratory in London
Bank of England Data Shows Strong Rise in New Mortgage Approvals
Network Rail Completes Landmark Upgrade of Severn Tunnel Rail Infrastructure
East West Rail Passenger Services Between Oxford and Milton Keynes Set for December Launch
GlaxoSmithKline Reportedly Pursues £7 Billion Acquisition of US Cancer Drug Developer Nuvalent
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates Likely to Remain Unchanged Despite Energy Market Risks
NHS Trusts Launch Job-Cutting Programmes as Financial Pressures Intensify Across England
More Than 130 Labour MPs Urge Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
Keir Starmer Orders Technology Firms to Introduce Smartphone Nudity Controls for Under-18s
UK Unveils £400 Million National AI Supercomputer Fund and New Economics Institute
Japanese Technology Firm Fujitsu Launches Advanced Artificial Intelligence Tool for Corporate Disclosures
South Africa Officially Launches Nationwide Campaign for Highly Contested Local Government Elections
United Kingdom Commits Additional Funding for Unexploded Ordnance Clearance in Laos
Singapore Announces Stringent New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Commercial Cooling Systems
Cambodia and Thailand Hold High-Level Border Security Talks at United Nations Headquarters
Myanmar Military Government and China Sign Major Agreement to Upgrade Media and Cultural Cooperation
Knife Attack at Swiss Train Station Leaves Three Injured in Suspected Act of Domestic Terrorism
Transnational Extortion Gang Threatens Canadian Police With Army of One Thousand Armed Operatives
Australia Imposes Forty-Two-Day Quarantine on Cruise Ship Passengers Following Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
International Monetary Fund Unlocks Seven Hundred Million United States Dollars for Sri Lanka Following Economic Reforms
Australia Launches Record One Point Four Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Chemical Giant 3M Over Contamination
China and Canada Foreign Ministers Meet in Ottawa in Effort to Stabilize Strained Diplomatic Ties
Indonesia Demands Urgent United Nations Security Council Reform Amid Escalating Global Conflicts
Extreme Weather Patterns Trigger Severe Drought in Madagascar and Destructive Flooding in East Africa
Indian State of Karnataka Faces Political Upheaval as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Abruptly Resigns
Philippines and Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties as Crucial for Indo-Pacific Regional Stability
Norway Joins French Nuclear Deterrence Initiative in Major Shift for European Security Architecture
Global Critical Mineral Alliances Expand as Western Nations Move to Counter Chinese Supply Dominance
United States Imposes Fifty Percent Tariffs on Mexican Steel and Aluminum Ahead of Trade Pact Review
European Union and China Head Toward Major Trade Conflict Over Clean Technology Exports
United States Economic Growth Severely Downgraded to One Point Six Percent as Stagflation Fears Mount
World Health Organization Warns Central African Ebola Epidemic is Outpacing Containment Efforts
United States Treasury Department Conditions Sanctions Relief on Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Air Defenses Intercept and Destroy United States Military Drone Over Bushehr Province
Iranian Armed Forces Launch Ballistic Missiles Toward Unspecified Targets Prompting Regional Condemnation
×