British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that all remaining lockdown restrictions in England will be lifted in a week despite a sharp rise in coronavirus casesLONDON -- All remaining lockdown restrictions in England will be lifted in a week despite a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Monday. We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday July 19 to life as it was before COVID,” Johnson said. The final stage of easing England's lockdown means that all restrictions on social gatherings will be removed and social distancing measures will be scrapped. The government is on track to meet its target of offering all adults a first vaccine dose by July 19, the day when all remaining lockdown restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing, are to be lifted. Waiting any longer to lift restrictions will risk having the virus spread peak in the autumn and winter, when children return to school and hospitals are most likely to be overwhelmed by seasonal infections, Javid and Johnson said.

Source: ABC News July 12, 2021 09:11 UTC