England's remaining coronavirus restrictions will be lifted from next Monday, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out other restrictions or lockdowns.
Despite earlier promising that a move away from lockdowns would be “irreversible”, Mr Johnson on Monday said his priority was to protect the public and the National Health Service.
It was a Downing Street press conference that was markedly downbeat from a week ago, when Mr Johnson suggested that normality, or “freedom day”, on 19 July meant all restrictions would be lifted with little chance of going back.
But since Mr Johnson appeared before cameras on July 5, the UK daily death rate has risen from an average of 18 to 29, an increase of 56 per cent. Similarly, infections have gone up from 25,000 to 31,000, and hospital admissions to have risen by 56 per cent.
“We know we're going to see more hospitalisations and more deaths from Covid,” Mr Johnson said, but he added that the projections for infections and mortality were “at the lower end”.
“So, we think now is the right moment to proceed when we have the natural firebreak of the school holidays in the next few days,” he said.
“But it is absolutely vital that we proceed with caution. And I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough, this pandemic is not over. This disease continues to carry risks for you and your family. We cannot simply revert instantly on Monday, 19 July, as it was before Covid.”
Despite the dangers, Mr Johnson said England would lift its legal restrictions, including 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.”
The government instruction to work from home would go, “but we don't expect that the whole country will return to their desks as one on Monday”.
He also urged nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather to make use of the NHS Covid Pass, which shows proof of vaccination.
The rigid border policy of quarantine for those people arriving from “red list” countries, including the UAE, would remain.
The four-week delay to the original “freedom day” of June 21 has allowed time for seven million more vaccine shots, with every adult offered a first dose.
Britain has implemented one of the world's fastest vaccination programmes, with more than 87 per cent of adults having received at least one dose of a vaccine and 66 per cent having received two.
The scientific evidence now showed that having two doses reduced infection by 80 per cent and the need for hospital treatment by 90 per cent, said Chris Witty, Chief Medical Officer for England.
He said that 2,700 people were in hospitals with Covid-19, yet at the height of the second wave in January that was nearly 40,000 people.
“The data would imply that if we go slowly with the next stage of the road map, the expectation is this will not reach the point where it is putting unsustainable pressure on the NHS,” he said.
The four-week delay in lifting restrictions had had “a significant impact on reducing the amount of hospitalisations and deaths”.
Asked again if the restrictions would be irreversibly lifted and that there would be no further lockdowns, Mr Johnson offered a more cautious reply than before.
“We must rule nothing out, and I've been very clear that we must protect the public and we will not hesitate to use the means that we have at our disposal,” he said.
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
FIGHT%20CARD
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Mountain%20Boy
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