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Britain inches closer to lifting lockdown

Wednesday, 24 June 2020 1:29 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 24 June 2020 1:30 AM ]

A man wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), including a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, travels on an escalator at Waterloo Train station in central London on May 18, 2020.

Saeed Pourreza
PRESSTV, London

The British government has announced a new series of changes to its lockdown rules. As of next month, several businesses will be allowed to reopen, and “air bridges” established to save the summer holidays.

already dubbed “Super Saturday” by some MPs, the changes will come into effect on July fourth. It is the biggest return of freedoms in months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement at the British Parliament on Tuesday.

This follows the publication in May of the Government's roadmap for getting Britain out of its coronavirus lockdown. A fundamental theme of discussions: whether to reduce the two-metre social distancing rule to one meter.

On the streets of London reaction to that remains mixed. Among other things, the coming changes will restart the hospitality and leisure sectors. And to that end, the controversial two-week quarantine for air-travelers will also have to be scrapped.

When it was first announced at the beginning of this month, the number of infections, the so called R value, was still high… the lockdown’s easing was received with some consternation drawing the concern of some of the country’s top scientists who believed the decision was political and aimed at reviving the economy.

But the daily confirmed coronavirus cases have been following a downward trend of late…some of the lowest figures came this past week, since lockdown began. Still, No 10 has warned the new moves would be reversed if they led to a surge in cases.

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