England ends all Corona measures despite delta variant

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All Corona measures are due to end in England on July 19. Distance rules, mandatory masks and the home office requirement will then be dropped, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. Pubs will no longer have to serve exclusively at the table, and there will no longer be space restrictions at major events in stadiums and arenas. Johnson stressed that the binding decision would be made after a further review of pandemic data next Monday (July 12). In the U.K., the number of new Corona infections had increased significantly recently because of the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

“This pandemic is by no means over,” Johnson said. The number of new infections is rising rapidly, he said, and he expects 50,000 cases a day soon. But vaccines have significantly weakened the link between new infections and deaths and hospitalizations, he said. “We have to be honest: If we can’t reopen society in the coming weeks (…), when else will we be able to return to normal life?” said Johnson. He pointed to good conditions with warm summer weather and the school vacations.

There had already been criticism of the decision in advance. Scientists, trade unions and the opposition called for the mask requirement in particular to be maintained as the simplest means of warding off the virus. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, also joined in these demands with a view to the impact on local transport. In a poll conducted by the opinion research institute Yougov, a good two-thirds of respondents were in favor of retaining mandatory masks on public transport as well as in stores.

The low-cost airlines Ryanair (Ireland) and Easyjet (UK) have already announced that masks must continue to be worn on board their aircraft, regardless of the rules at the point of departure or destination.

Health policy is a matter for regional governments in the United Kingdom. Johnson is responsible for the largest part of the country, England, which does not have its own government. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on the other hand, make their own decisions about their Corona measures and when they end. The Welsh head of government, Mark Drakeford, has already made it clear that he will not adopt the relaxations.