Covid restrictions to be lifted but concerns remain

More than half of Shropshire Star readers have expressed concern about the relaxation of measures, confirmed by Boris Johnson.

And many experts have questioned the strategy, with one virologist in our region saying the Prime Minister was removing the “tools to tackle Covid”.

Mr Johnson said July 19 would be the day when rules relating to coronavirus will be torn up. Laws surrounding mask wearing and social distancing will be lifted, with the emphasis instead being placed on personal responsibility.

The changes open the way for nightclubs to open and theatres to return to full capacity.

Mr Johnson said the changes would work because the UK’s vaccination programme had broken the link between virus rates and serious illness.

But concerns remain among the public. Of 1,100 people questioned on shropshirestar.com, only 41 per cent said they supported the lifting of restrictions.

Mr Johnson said the requirement to work from home will be lifted, as will the ‘rule of six’ in social settings. The system of school bubbles will be replaced by extra testing. Weddings and funerals can return to normal. While red travel lists will remain for some countries, work will begin to remove the quarantine requirement for people returning from amber countries.

Meanwhile vaccinations will be sped up, with the gap between doses reduced to eight weeks in order to get all over 18s double-jabbed by the end of September.

The limit on named care home visitors will be lifted but infection control measures will remain in place. There will be no Covid certificates.

The Prime Minister said the pandemic “is far from over” but said the summer and school holidays would help the process of relaxation.

Experts are split on the merits of the relxation. Dr Arthur Hosie, a Staffordshire University microbiologist, said the steps were “premature” and accused Mr Johnson of being “populist”.

Meanwhile the rule change will not apply to Powys and Wales where Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the country would not be rushed into a decision by Mr Johnson’s announcement.

She said the Welsh Government would be “following the data rather than following the politics” when making a decision. Baroness Morgan said country is still “in a very difficult situation” and steps would be revealed on July 14.