British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus, visits a pharmaceutical factory during a visit to the North East of England on 13 February 2021.
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The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, will announce on Monday how and when the restrictions on the blockade in England will begin to be lifted.
Government ministers are expected to discuss the details of the “roadmap” to cautiously ease the closure on Monday morning. The prime minister will present the proposals to parliament later this afternoon, before holding a televised press conference in the evening.
Johnson is expected to explain the latest data on infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as the first data showing the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines.
It is also expected to confirm that schools in England will reopen on March 8 and reveal more details about other restrictions to be removed.
The government said in a statement that the lifting of the country’s third blockade, established since early January, “will try to balance health, economic and social factors with the latest data and epidemiological advice.”
Data, not dates
Johnson has repeatedly said the relaxation of the measures will be prudent and driven by “data, not dates.” However, he also said he wanted the lifting of the restrictions to be “irreversible” as he was under pressure from members of his Conservative party to reopen the economy.
However, the government has maintained that the relief should be done in stages to prevent jumps in infection rates.
“Today I will set a roadmap for exiting the closure with caution,” Boris Johnson said in comments posted ahead of Monday’s announcement.
“Our priority has always been to get children back to school, which we know is crucial to their education and their mental and physical well-being, and we will also prioritize ways to meet loved ones safely.” .
Patients arrive by ambulance at the Royal London Hospital on 5 January 2021 in London, England. The British Prime Minister delivered a national television speech on Monday evening announcing that England would enter its third blockade of the covid-19 pandemic. This week, the UK has registered more than 50,000 new confirmed cases of Covid for the seventh day in a row.
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“Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step and we will be prudent about this approach so that we do not undo the progress we have made so far and the sacrifices each of you has made to keep you and others safe,” he add.
Four key tests
Johnson said the government has set out four key tests that must be met before Britain can move forward at every step of the plan. These are:
- That the vaccine deployment program continues successfully.
- Evidence shows that vaccines are effective enough to reduce hospitalizations and deaths in vaccinated people.
- Infection rates do not risk increasing hospitalizations, which would put unsustainable pressure on the National Health Service.
- That their risk assessment is not fundamentally modified by the new worrying variants of coronavirus.
The government said that as all four tests are met, the first step in lifting the lock restrictions will take place from March 8. The government has already said that residents of the care home will be able to have a visitor from that date.
Following the reopening of schools, the government has noted that more measures could be provided to allow for socialization and limited outdoor sports.
The BBC reported on Monday that, from 29 March, outdoor meetings of six people or two households are expected to be allowed and that outdoor sports facilities can be reopened, such as tennis or basketball courts. The station added that “it is also understood that people may travel outside their areas again, although it is likely that the recommendation will continue to recommend staying in the area and overnight stays will not be allowed.” It is uncertain when the reopening of pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops will be allowed.
Variants and vaccines
One of the strengths of the British pandemic experience has been its response to vaccination. It was the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, the candidate for Pfizer and BioNTech, and launched the shot in early December to its older members of the population, nursing home workers and health and hospital staff. .
He then approved and began administering the AstraZeneca / University of Oxford jab, a cheaper vaccine produced in the UK that is easier to transport and store than rival jabs, allowing it to maintain a rate of enviable immunization.
Since then, it has expanded the launch to higher-priority groups, such as all those considered clinically vulnerable, and plans to vaccinate all adult citizens in the UK before the end of July, advancing that target from September. As of Saturday, more than 17.5 million adults have received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine, and more than 600,000 have received both doses, according to government data.
The data show that new infections are falling, with initial studies indicating that coronavirus vaccines also help prevent the transmission of the virus, as well as prevent serious disease.
In the last seven days, the UK has seen 77,432 new cases of coronavirus, 16.2% less than the previous weekly count. The death toll in the last seven days, 3,414 fatalities, is also 27.4% lower than the previous seven-day count. Hospitalizations are also falling.