London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 05, 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
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
UK Schools Report Thousands of Child-on-Child Sexual Offences
High Court Overturns Ban Blocking Gaza Families From Reuniting With Relatives in UK
G7 Authorizes Emergency Fuel Release as UK Diesel Prices Hit £2 a Litre
France and Italy Draw 1-1 in Nations League Match
Pope Leo XIV and Prince Albert II of Monaco Meet in Metz
SNCF Expands Low-Cost Ouigo High-Speed Service Between Lyon and Bordeaux
Paris Expands Dedicated Cargo Bike Routes for Urban Deliveries
French Film Industry Pushes for Tighter Streaming Investment Rules
Marseille Court Hands Down Prison Terms in Public Procurement Corruption Case
LVMH and Kering Rely on US Demand as Chinese Luxury Spending Slows
Toulouse Aerospace Sector Launches €80 Million Modernization Fund
Javier Milei Courts French Investment in LNG and Lithium
Mistral AI Launches Sovereign Model for European Public Services
French Competition Authority Fines Retailers €40 Million Over Misleading Promotions
France Records Exceptional Electricity Exports as Nuclear Output Recovers
Dassault Aviation Expands Rafale Assembly Capacity at Mérignac
Sanofi Invests €1 Billion in New Biologics Production Hub Near Lyon
France Protests Germany’s Extension of Border Controls Into 2027
French Public-Sector and Transport Unions Threaten National Strike
France Deploys Riot Police After Violence in Lyon Suburbs
French Anti-Terrorism Prosecutors Investigate Radicalized Flydubai Co-Pilot
France’s Defense Budget Surpasses NATO’s 2% of GDP Target
French Government Faces No-Confidence Threat Over Budget
France and G7 Release 100 Million Barrels From Strategic Oil Reserves
France Convenes Emergency Defense Council Over Threats to Commercial Shipping
France and Germany Coordinate Military Response After Russian Strikes on Kyiv Infrastructure
UK Police Release Six Iranian Nationals on Bail After RAF Fairford Security Alert
UK Business Confidence Falls as Energy Costs and Tax Uncertainty Rise
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Rise 16% in January
UK Introduces Zero VAT on Household Electricity Bills
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Hits 6% as Bond Market Pressures Intensify
UK Introduces Stricter Subcontractor Checks and Expanded Trade Union Access
Green Party Proposes Three-Year Emergency Freeze on Private Rent Increases
UK Treasury Committee Seeks Tax Clarification Over Manchester City Investigation
Royal Marines Deploy to Faroe Islands for Northern European Security Exercise
UK Business Confidence Weakens as High Costs Delay Investment
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.5% in Second Quarter
Bank of England Warns of Financial Stability Risks From Autonomous AI
UK Expands Early Prisoner Release Scheme to Ease Overcrowding
UK Records Worst Bluetongue Outbreak on Record Across Livestock Farms
UK Government Faces Shrinking Fiscal Headroom Ahead of October 28 Budget
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 6% as Energy Shock Drives Borrowing Costs Higher
×