Published
Mon, Jul 5, 2021, 16:20
- Boris Johnson confirmed the news in today's Downing Street press conference.
The UK government is going ahead with the last phase of its reopening plan.
In a press conference this afternoon, UK prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed his government plan to remove almost all the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19th. The news, which signals the reopening of festivals and nightlife in England, comes as the UK is suffering from another spike in Covid-19 cases. Johnson stressed that it is safer to remove the restrictions now than to wait until winter. The plan will be reassessed and reconfirmed on July 12th.
As of July 19th, nightclubs and festivals will be allowed to operate at full capacity, and without mandatory mask wearing or proof of vaccination. Other changes, such as fully vaccinated adults not needing to self-isolate after travelling to amber list countries, will also be implemented. This loosening of restrictions was initially planned for June 21st, but was delayed due to the threat of variants.
Although the number of cases in the UK is at its peak since January 2021, Johnson is ready to "allow people to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus." 86% of adults in the UK have had at least a first dose of the vaccination.
Photo credit: Jake Davis / GALA Festival