The UK government has confirmed that most Covid-19 restrictions in England will end next week despite surging cases caused by the Delta variant.

Most restrictions are set to end on 19 July as part of the final step or Step Four of England’s roadmap out of the lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had previously announced, reports Xinhua news agency.

Advertisement

But this still needs to be confirmed following a review of the latest data by the government.

The detailed arrangement of Step Four includes: no more limits on social contact to allow people to gather in groups of any size; removing the “one meter-plus” rule in almost all settings, except for specific places such as airports; no capacity caps on large scale events; people are no longer required to work from home.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday at Downing Street, Johnson said it is “vital” to proceed with caution and “this pandemic is not over”.

His remarks came as Britain reported another 34,471 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 5,155,243, according to official figures.

It is the sixth day in a row where the daily cases have been more than 30,000.

The country also recorded another six deaths, increasing the overall fatality toll to 128,431.

Johnson said that England’s strict border policy would continue, and tracking, tracing and isolating positive cases will stay in place.

The move to Step Four was delayed by up to four weeks so every adult could be offered a vaccine.

Some 6.8 million first and second doses have already been administered in England during the delay so far, according to a government statement released on Monday.

It is the right time to go to Step Four, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said during his speech in Parliament on Monday.

“If not now, when? There will never be a perfect time to take this step because we simply cannot eradicate this virus.”

Despite the easing which will see legal requirements to wear face masks in shops and on public transport being scrapped, the government will still recommend the use of face masks in crowded areas, according to Sky News.

Scientists have warned that lifting all restrictions at this stage could increase the likelihood of dangerous variants.

More than 87 per cent of adults in Britain have received the first jab of a Covid-19 vaccine and over 66 per cent have received two doses, the latest official figures showed.

Javid said that the government is now on track to offer every adult a dose of the vaccine by July 19.

The vaccination rollout will continue to accelerate by bringing forward second doses for under 40s to eight weeks – meaning the entire population will benefit from maximum protection more quickly, according to the government.