PM Boris Johnson had set out plans yesterday evening to end social and economic COVID 19 restrictions on the 19th of July.
Boris Johnson had held a press conference yesterday evening in which he set out the plans to remove a large amount of COVID restrictions on the 19th of July, in what is being called “Freedom day.”
The 5 point plan included things such as removing the legal obligation to wear a mask in public spaces, removing the one metre social distancing rule and allowing all businesses including nightclubs to open their doors again.
Even with the good news of the lockdown being almost completely removed on the 19th with the five point plan, this comes with a warning that there is still a final decision to be made next week on the 12th of July which could hinder the 5 point plan and its policies if anything changes as Boris remarks that the pandemic is “far from over”.
Whilst speaking at the press conference, Prime Minister Johnson stated we must “balance the risk” of the disease from the virus and the harmful effects of continuing with the legal restrictions which will “inevitably take their toll on people’s lives and livelihoods, on people’s health and mental health”.
He then added: “And we must be honest with ourselves that if we can’t reopen our society in the next few weeks, when we will be helped by the arrival of summer, and by the school holidays, then we must ask ourselves ‘when will we be able to return to normal?’”
Even though Boris Johnson has stressed that the decision on Monday next week may change the plans to end lockdown on the 19th, he remains confident that the lockdown restrictions being lifted will still go ahead with the guidance and research providing by other governmental departments.