Simple things that before the pandemic we took for granted the British will be able to do again from today. Like hugging or having a beer in their pub and watching a football game.
Sections of the British economy reopen today, offering a degree of freedom to millions of people after a four-month downturn lockdown to stem the COVID-19 epidemic.
The United Kingdom, the country with the highest number of pandemic deaths in 128,000 in Europe, has seen its health improve significantly after a severe winter lockdown and a very rapid vaccination campaign against COVID-19, as broadcast by AMPE.
This biggest public health crisis in Britain in a century was also accompanied by a drastic expansion of state power and during the lockdown in England the police broke up parties and demonstrations, stopped religious services and fined up to σ 10,000 young people for doing party.
“I will literally hug everyone I can,” British actress Joanna Lamley told The Telegraph.
However, in addition to the euphoria that prevails as England enters a significant phase of easing restrictions to deal with the pandemic, there is also concern over recent cases of the Indian variant strain -mainly in its northwestern part- which may again call into question the final lifting of social distancing measures next month.
Urging the British to be vigilant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was no reason at this stage to postpone the planned easing of measures, which would allow the reopening of pubs and restaurants – outside. have been open since April – of hotels, theaters, cinemas and stadiums for up to 10,000 spectators.
Meetings that are also forbidden for months at home are allowed again, but with a maximum of six people or two families, as well as outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people and vacations abroad, although only certain destinations are exempt from the quarantine return requirement.
“It was too late this time,” said Claire Smith, chef at Core Restaurant in London, who won Michelin’s third star in January during the lockdown.
“I’m excited, I look forward to welcoming customers who will walk through the door, it will be very moving,” he told Reuters. “London is opening and there will be exciting moments, it will return,” he said.
Although the rules differ slightly between the 4 regions that make up the United Kingdom, the restrictions are relaxed from today in England, Scotland and Wales, while in Northern Ireland this is expected to happen a little later.
In Scotland in particular, where the local government decides on its own timetable for lifting restrictive measures, the relaxation of some of them does not apply to areas where there are outbreaks of the epidemic, such as Glasgow.
“Great attention”
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson He called on his fellow citizens to take advantage of the new freedoms given to them with “great care” and stressed that the Indian version of the new coronavirus is “under close scrutiny”.
The number of cases attributed to the Indian strain B1.617.2 in Britain more than doubled in one week, to more than 1,300 last year.
If it turns out to be very contagious, the lifting of almost all restrictive measures in England, scheduled for 21 June, may be questioned again, noted the conservative leader.
Calling on the people to use “common sense”, Minister of Operations Kwasi Carting told SkyNews today that “if we act logically, there is no reason to assume that we will not be able to reopen the whole economy on June 21. ».
At present, in order to prevent the spread of the Indian strain, the tests in the affected areas have been increased and the time between the two doses has been limited to eight weeks (from three months today). vaccines against COVID-19 for those over 50 years old.
According to Health Minister Matt Hancock, “there is a high degree of certainty” that the vaccines are effective against the variant that was first identified in India.
Since the start of the vaccination campaign in Britain in early December, more than 36 million people have already received a first dose and around 20 million have completed their vaccinations, or almost 40% of the adult population. The government plans to offer a first installment to all adults by the end of July.
“Up to 50% more contagious”
The scientific committee advising the government (Sage) has been wary of the new lifting of restrictive measures as of today.
She considers that there is a “realistic possibility” the Indian variant strain to be up to 50% more contagious from what was identified in late 2020 in England, which caused an outbreak of cases and an increase in deaths, forcing the United Kingdom to enter a lockdown in January.
Therefore, he warned, relaxation could “lead to a significant increase in hospitalizations, similar to or greater than in previous times at the peak” of the epidemic, when health services were on the verge of saturation.
The British government, which had been criticized for failing to take swift action in response to the health crisis when the pandemic broke out, reacted to criticism that it was slow to act on the emergence of the Indian variant and did not move faster in a restrictions for travelers from India.
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