England’s pandemic ordeal set to end in next 21 days, says UK PM Johnson

Despite a surge in infections of the new delta variant, hospitalization and death rates remain relatively low as the UK’s vaccine program progresses, Johnson said.

England is “very likely” to be freed from pandemic restrictions on July 19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, as he predicted the country is just three weeks away from returning to “life before Covid.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside 10 Downing Street in London, before they went inside for their meeting, Thursday, June 24, 2021. (AP)

Despite a surge in infections of the new delta variant, hospitalization and death rates remain relatively low as the UK’s vaccine program progresses, he said.

Johnson confirmed there will not be an early release from England’s social-distancing rules on July 5, which was an option if data had been good enough. He said it is “sensible” to take a few more weeks to analyze the infection patterns and deliver more second vaccine doses before lifting the curbs.

“With every day that goes by it’s clearer to me and all our scientific advisers that we’re very likely to be in a position on July 19 to say that really is the terminus, and we can go back to life as it was before Covid as far as possible,” Johnson told reporters Monday.

Entertainment and hospitality businesses including nightclubs and theaters have been shut due to the need to operate social distancing rules.

While many bosses will welcome Johnson’s upbeat assessment, others are likely to remember they have been disappointed before, after plans to lift the limits on social gatherings were delayed by a month.

Under the delayed timetable, all legal rules on social distancing are due to be scrapped from July 19, allowing nightclubs to reopen for the first time since March 2020. Audience limits will also be dropped for theater, concert and sports venues under the plan.

New Health Secretary Sajid Javid will set out the government’s latest position in more detail in Parliament on Monday.

Even though domestic rules are set to be eased, Britons face a harder time traveling overseas, as other countries impose curbs on arrivals from the UK in response to the rise in the delta variant. The authorities in Portugal, Spain and Hong Kong all announced new restrictions on British travelers.

Johnson said he and Javid had spoken and reviewed the pandemic data on Sunday and concluded the best option would be to wait a “few more weeks” to deliver another 5 million vaccine doses before easing the remaining rules for England. Separate rules are in place in other parts of the UK.

Both Javid and the prime minister say they want to take a cautious approach to lifting restrictions so that curbs do not need to be reimposed again.

Lockdowns

The government has put England into a hard lockdown three times since the pandemic began, after relaxations in the rules led cases to surge.

Johnson said that while data showed a significant rise in cases of the new delta variant -- with coronavirus infections at the highest level since February -- the link between cases, hospitalizations and deaths has been “interrupted.” That’s an “encouraging” sign that the vaccine program is working, Johnson said.

Johnson tried to brush aside questions about the scandal that prompted Matt Hancock to quit as health secretary on Saturday after admitting he broke social-distancing rules.

Asked why he hadn’t fired the minister when the story broke, Johnson suggested he had in fact concluded Hancock should go after learning of the details on Friday.

That prompted questions over whether Hancock resigned or was removed. Johnson’s spokesman later insisted the minister had quit voluntarily.