Why has Boris Johnson postponed the relaxation of Covid lockdown limits until June 21?
On June 21, England was supposed to move to the fourth and final stage of its lockdown, according to the governments plan. On June 21, dubbed Freedom Day, all legal restrictions on social contact were to be lifted, with venues allowed to operate at full capacity and households free to mix. The conclusion of the remaining social separation rules, however, has been postponed until July 19, according to the Prime Minister. At all three stages, the roadmap that was given out in March has gone ahead on the scheduled dates in March, April, and May. The government has issued a warning to residents of Liverpool City Region to minimize travel in and out of the city. The roadmap is supported by four critical tests that serve as a checklist that must be completed before proceeding to the next step of the reopening process. These tests evaluate if the vaccine deployment is progressing as intended, if vaccinations are effective in lowering death rates and hospitalizations, if case numbers arent rising to the point where the NHS can no longer support them, and whether new varieties dont pose any unexpected dangers. One of the key reasons for Johnsons decision to postpone the final stretch out of lockdown is the growth of the Delta variant, which evidence shows is 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variety. The fact that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines only provide 33% protection after one shot, compared to the previous variations 80 percent protection, has slowed the process toward a complete reopening. According to a new research, the number of coronavirus cases in England has risen to its highest level since early March, indicating that the viruss third wave has begun. In the seven days leading up to June 9, 37,729 new Covid-19 cases were reported in England, according to Public Health England. This translates to 67.0 instances per 100,000 people, which is the highest level since March 2. The summary comes to a close.