London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 20, 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
Ed Sheeran Tour Faces Backlash After Macklemore Is Removed Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks
Vandalism of Traffic Cameras Intensifies Across Parts of England
Nearly 300 Evacuated as Fire Hits Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
King Charles Warns AI Executives About Risks From Uncontrolled Technology
Church of England Apologises for Role in Historical Forced Adoption Practices
UK Debate Over Online Speech Intensifies After Arrest Figures Draw Scrutiny
Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice Sue National Crime Agency Over Alleged Banking Data Leaks
Apple Introduces Stricter Age Checks for UK Accounts
BBC Cash Reserves Fall 66% to £125 Million as Broadcaster Restructures
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and Plans 1,000 Jobs
Green Party Wins Historic Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Burnham Government Prepares October Budget Under Growing Fiscal Pressure
UK Energy Suppliers Pull Fixed-Price Deals as Wholesale Markets Turn More Volatile
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
×