UK Secretary of State for Health Sajid Javid addressed the House of Commons on “Freedom Day” on 19 July.
This is before Boris Johnson addresses the nation at 5 p.m. today.
Addressing MPs, Sajid Javid said it was “the right time to bring our nation closer to normal life”.
He added that lockdown restrictions would ease as planned, but urged businesses and the public to act with caution.
Javid added that the government would encourage some companies and large events in “high risk settings” to “use the certification”.
Sajid Javid explained: “To those who say ‘why take this step now’, I say ‘if not now, when?’
“There will never be a perfect time to take this step because we simply cannot eradicate this virus.
“Whether we like it or not, the coronavirus is not going to go away.
“Moving forward next week, supported by the arrival of the summer and school holidays, it gives us the best possible chance of a return to normal life.”
Mr Javid said the government’s approach was to “balance the damage caused by Covid with the undeniable damage the restrictions are causing”.
The ministers concluded that the four tests planned for unlocking, successful vaccine deployment, proof that vaccines lead to reduced hospitalizations and deaths, infection rates are not at risk of increased admissions, and no new worrisome variant advances off-piste, are respected, allowing step 4 of the roadmap to unfold as planned.
This despite official recognition that there could be 100,000 new cases per day in the summer.
“Cases are increasing, propelled by the new, more transmissible Delta variant,” Mr Javid said.
“The average number of daily cases is over 26,000 and this has doubled in the past 11 days.
“And unfortunately the number of cases is going to get worse before it gets better – we could reach 100,000 cases a day later in the summer.”
Hospital admissions will also increase further, but they are “much lower than they were at this point in the previous wave” and vaccines had “severely weakened” the link between people catching coronavirus and ending up in develop serious illness and eventually die.
(PA Graphics)
The government has previously said that from Step 4 all coronavirus restrictions on gatherings will be removed, masks will no longer be legally required, social distancing measures will be removed and the order to work from home will be removed. survey.
But while legal restrictions are in place, the guidelines will make it clear that people and businesses should continue to take action to limit the spread of the virus.
This includes the widespread use of Covid status certification, the so-called vaccine passports allowing people to show whether they are double-bitten, have a negative test result, or have natural immunity after recovering from Covid. -19.
Nightclubs, which have been closed since the first lockdown in March last year, will be allowed to open but will be encouraged to use certification to minimize risk.
Other ‘big events’ will also be encouraged to use vaccine passports, with customers able to prove their status using the NHS app.
(PA Graphics)
Downing Street said the government would “expect and recommend” the continued use of face masks in crowded areas and on public transport.
Returning employees to the workplace, seen as essential to helping inner-city businesses that depend on commuters, should not happen overnight, as businesses are encouraged to take a phased approach.
A series of policy papers will define what is expected of businesses as the government transfers responsibility from the state to business leaders and citizens.
This includes new guidelines for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, most at risk for coronavirus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead a press conference in Downing Street at 5 p.m. to give more details on the plans, joined by Chief Science Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
Mr Javid said a review would be carried out in September “to assess our readiness for fall and winter”.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-13 06:00:00