Freedom day is approaching
Office Owls can confirm that England will move to the final stage of easing Covid restrictions in England on July 19th.
This means almost all legal restrictions on social contact will be removed.
Boris Johnson has warned it is vital to proceed with such caution, warning ‘this pandemic is not over.” The government scientists have proceeded to mention that the peak of the current wave is not expected before mind-August and could lead to between 1,000 and 2,000 hospital admissions per day.
Vaccinations have created a protective wall, meaning the UK could withstand a summer wave, almost 67.6M doses have been given, 29.1M people are fully vaccinated, 52% of the UK population are full vaccinated.
The PM informed that coronavirus continues to carry risks for you and your family, we cannot simply revert instantly from Monday the 19th to life as it was before the pandemic. The prime minister hoped the roadmap would be irreversible, but to have this we need to take a cautious approach.
While all legal restrictions will be lifted, some guidance will remain in place.
What is changing on July 19th?
- Legal requirements to wear face masks in some enclosed public places will be removed but as individuals, we have a choice in whether we want to protect ourselves and others. So, face masks are still ‘expected and recommended’ in crowded indoor areas.
- Nightclubs are due to reopen for the first time since March 2020 and capacity limits will be removed for all venues and events.
- There will no longer be any limits on how many people can meet and the 1 meter plus distancing rule will be scrapped.
- Nightclubs and other venues that will hold large crowds will be encouraged to use Covid status certification (vaccine passports) as a matter of social responsibility.
- Vaccine passports would allow people to show they are double-jabbed, have had a negative test result or natural immunity after recovering from Covid-19 using the NHS app.
In a guidance published after yesterday’s press conference, the government said it ‘reserves the right’ to make Covid certification mandatory in certain venues in the near future when necessary.
- Work from home where possible will be lifted, but encouraging individuals for a gradual return to their workplace.
We are all advised to act with personal responsibility and try to meet friends and family outside where possible. The requirement to self-isolate when contacted by test and trace will remain in place until the 16th of August when it will be relaxed for people who are fully vaccinated and for under-18s.
If someone tests positive for the virus they will be legally required to self-isolate, this rule stays the same.
Check out the roadmap to ‘freedom day’ here: https://www.projectstart.co.uk/freedom-day-is-approaching/
