No masks by SUMMER as life could return ‘to relative normality’, say No10 scientists

BRITS should finally be able to ditch masks from early summer thanks to the Covid jabs blitz.

Official data now shows the ­number of people who have the virus has dropped below 100,000 in England for the first time since early September.

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Separate NHS figures also reveal more than four in five over-75s have had both vaccine doses — with 11.6 million Brits now fully covered.

Under PM Boris Johnson’s plan to end lockdown in England, social contact will no longer be restricted from June 21.

Government scientists say it means mask-wearing will soon become optional, with life returning “much more towards normal”.

A senior source said immunisation has gone so well that infections will continue to fall next month despite the recent opening of schools and shops.

They confirmed that as things stand, lockdown is set to end in June, with nothing currently in the data putting the planned lifting of curbs at risk.

But masks may have to return in autumn or winter if the UK has a fresh surge in Covid cases.

Bosses were also urged to discourage workplace “presenteeism” — sick staff turning up when feeling unwell — to slash outbreaks.

It comes as the Office for National ­Statistics estimates 90,000 people in England have the ­coronavirus.

That is equal to around one in 610 — down from one in 480 the ­previous week.

The official R number has remained stable and is now estimated to be between 0.8 and 1 across England.

It means case of new infections are shrinking by between one and five per cent daily.

There were 40 Covid deaths reported yesterday — taking the UK pandemic toll to 127,385.

The figure for the past seven days is 162, a week-on-week drop of 12 per cent.

Around 33.4 million have had their first vaccine dose.

Bookings for those aged 40 to 44 are expected to now open next week.

NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens said: “Nearly two-thirds of people aged 45-49 have now had their first ­vaccination.

“The NHS has reached another medically important milestone this week with more than eight in ten people aged 75 and over already having received both doses of the vaccine.”

But in another development, government experts said they fear rats can catch and spread Covid.

An assessment for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warns there is a high risk the rodents get infected from humans.

'WORKING VERY HARD'

It claims there is a medium chance rats could then pass it back to binmen, pest controllers and sewage workers.

Meanwhile, Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford yesterday said the UK was no longer in a pandemic but added there was no guarantee the public health situation would not worsen again.

Mr Drakeford said he agreed with comments from the Covid Infection Survey’s chief investigator who said the UK had moved to an “endemic” situation due to the success of the vaccination programme.

A pandemic is defined by the World Health Organisation as “the worldwide spread of a new disease”, while an endemic infection is restricted to a ­particular country or area.

Mr Drakeford told the Welsh Government’s press briefing that “by its definition, we’re no longer at this moment in a pandemic”.

But he sounded a warning that there was no guarantee the situation would continue to improve.

He pointed out: “We’ve just seen in recent weeks how fast things went from being in a good position to a very ­difficult position in France, in Italy, in Germany.

"Of course, we are working very hard to make sure that the current progress is not reversed in Wales.

“But there’s no guarantee that unless we carry on doing things carefully, cautiously, step by step, and with the help of the whole Welsh population, that that is bound to be the position.”

Mr Drakeford said Covid remaining an endemic condition into the future — like the flu — would still require a programme of booster jabs given to those already vaccinated.

He added: “An endemic disease is still a disease, and it will still require action by government, by the health service, and each and every one of us in our own lives to make sure that the endemic ­condition doesn’t become one that loses lives and puts services at risk.”

Across the UK, a further 2,678 lab-confirmed cases were reported yesterday. It brings the total to 4,401,109.