COVID-19: Boris Johnson to rule out early easing of restrictions as Sajid Javid calls for return to normalcy “as quickly as possible” | UK News

Boris Johnson is expected to rule out a quick easing of coronavirus restrictions today, as ministers meet to review the latest data and assess whether it is possible to ease the rules in England before July 19.

Last week Downing Street confirmed that a decision would be made on Monday, with Mr Johnson’s spokesman saying: “We will make it very clear to the public the rationale for the decision we have made.”

The announcement is expected to be made in a statement to parliament, which could be delivered by the new health secretary Sajid Javid who said on Sunday that he wanted a return to normality “as quickly as possible”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

But Mr Javid’s first appearance at the shipping box since stepping down as chancellor in February 2020 could be difficult, with Labor insisting the government still has “serious questions to answer” regarding the events that led to Matt Hancock ‘s dramatic resignation on weekends.

When the Prime Minister announced the delay in easing restrictions earlier this month, he described July 19 as a “dead end” date for the withdrawal of most COVID rules, but pledged to undertake a mid-term review to see if the data allowed it to move forward to July 5.

Last week, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News he was “Unlikely” to happen.

Last night, government sources suggested it was still a general assessment, and Labor sources said they expected Mr Javid to confirm that July 19 remains the target date.

But following the resignation of Mr Hancock, who had been one of the most cautious voices in the cabinet, some Tory backbench MPs are pushing for the government to move faster.

On his arrival yesterday at the Directorate of Health and Social Affairs (DHSC), Mr. Javid …