BORIS Johnson tonight begged Brits not to go crazy next week as Covid restrictions are eased – and stressed July 19 should not be “treated as a great jubilee”.
The PM urged the public to exercise “extreme caution” as the country unlocks fully, warning that hospitalisations could rise this summer.
Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference that the pandemic is “not over” as he said mask use will be advised in crowded and enclosed spaces even after legal controls end.
He said that “the unlocking should not be taken as an invitation by everybody to have a great jubilee”.
The PM said: “It is absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution and I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough: this pandemic is not over.
“This disease, coronavirus, continues to carry risks for you and your family.
“We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before Covid.
“We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing, but we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with those you don’t normally meet, such as on public transport.”
In another announcements…
- Large venues like nightclubs will be urged to use “Covid certification”
- Ministers will encourage a “gradual return” to the workplace this summer
- Masks will be recommended in crowded settings like public transport
- A review of all the rules will take place before September 23
- Scientists expect Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths to go up
- New advice for the most vulnerable people will be issued imminently
- NHS workers will be exempt from self-isolation if pinged
In a bleak shift in tone, Mr Johnson said he “hoped” the roadmap will be irreversible but admitted: “We rule nothing out”.
And chief Government scientist Sir Patrick Vallance said there is “no doubt we are not in a third wave”.
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Prof Chris Whitty also warned of an “exit wave” as the legal restraints are flung off after 18 months of lockdown.
It came after health secretary Sajid Javid earlier told the House of Commons that the government would be pushing ahead with the fourth and final step of the roadmap next week.
He said the four crucial tests – the vaccine rollout continues at pace; jabs are cutting serious illness; infections don’t risk crippling the NHS; there are no emerging worrying variants – have been passed.
But he warned that daily infections were likely to pass the 100,000 mark later this summer – though vaccines would likely stop this translating into significant deaths.
