MASK OFF
Face masks will be ‘personal choice’ after July 19, minister confirms as social distancing and isolation also set to end
FACE masks will be a "personal choice" after July 19, a minister has confirmed today - with social distancing and isolation also set to end.
Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said the data was "looking good" for Covid rules to be rolled back after 'Freedom Day'.
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He told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday: "Like many people, I want to get away from these restrictions as quickly as I possibly can and we don't want them to stay in place for a day longer than is necessary.
"I think we are going to now move into a period where there won't be legal restrictions, the state won't be telling you what to do, but you will want to exercise a degree of personal responsibility and judgment - different people will come to different conclusions on things like masks, for example.
"The Prime Minister will set out more detail on the national policy on some of those restrictions in the coming days.
"But there will be things we all definitely need to do - it will be essential that every adult gets fully vaccinated."
It comes as:
- Compulsory mask wearing will be ditched when Covid restrictions are finally relaxed on Freedom Day
- Brits will reportedly be able to order at the bar in boozers from July 19 as the government scrap social distancing measures
- Boris Johnson is set to scrap the QR code sign-in requirement for pubs and restaurants to curb the number of Brits being forced to isolate through the NHS app
- Double-jabbed Brits returning from amber-list countries 'won't have to quarantine after July 19'
- School bubbles are set to be dropped after a senior government vaccines adviser said they risk paralysing society and bringing in a lockdown by the back door
Pressed on whether he would "get rid" of his mask after July 19 if permitted to do so, Mr Jenrick said: "I will. I don't particularly want to wear a mask. I don't think a lot of people enjoy doing it."
The Housing Secretary said the impact of the vaccine meant that the Government could "move to a much more permissive regime", with England moving "away from any of those restrictions" from July 19.
He told Sky News: "I think we are now reaching a different phase in the virus. We are not going to put the Covid-19 virus behind us forever, we're going to have to learn to live with it.
"But thanks to the enormous success of our vaccine programme, the fact that we've got to the point where 83 per cent of adults in this country have had at least one jab, we should be able to think about how we can return to normality as much as possible.
"The data that we are seeing, and that the Prime Minister is reviewing at the moment ahead of his decision point on the road map, looks very positive.
"It does seem as if we can now move forward and move to a much more permissive regime where we move away from any of those restrictions that have been so difficult for us, and learn to live with the virus."
Mr Jenrick said every adult getting "double vaxxed" was the "key to keeping the virus under control" into the autumn and winter.
Mask wearing is set to become voluntary and the one metre-plus social distancing rule in hospitality venues will end, meaning a return to drinking at the bar without the requirement for table service.
Mass events, including festivals, will also reportedly be allowed under the proposals for the final stage of the road map out of lockdown.
Boris Johnson plans to tear up laws which force people to cover their faces on buses and trains, and in shops and other indoor venues.
Current mask laws mean it is an offence for people to board a train, bus, plane or taxi without wearing one, unless medically exempt.
I think we are now reaching a different phase in the virus
Robert Jenrick
They are also a legal requirement in shops, supermarkets, theatres, libraries, churches, youth and social clubs, hotels and most other indoor settings.
A first offence carries a fine of £200, reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days.
The penalty doubles for repeat offences up to a maximum of £6,400.
Mr Johnson will announce he will scrap the law as part of the fourth and final step of the plan back to a normal life, The Sun on Sunday has been told.
But England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty — along with other health advisers — wants the use of masks to continue after July 19.
It comes as Sajid Javid has vowed to lift the remaining coronavirus restrictions on July 19 as he plans to make Britain the "most open country in Europe".
The Health Secretary said his main challenges as he takes up his new role are how to restore our freedoms and how to tackle the NHS backlog.
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Mentioning the sacrifices made by British people during the coronavirus pandemic, he said it is impossible to eliminate the disease completely, so we will need to find ways to cope with it.
The Health Secretary also urged everyone to get their jab as soon as they are offered one, describing the vaccination programme as "the single biggest contribution you can make to this national effort".
Writing in the , he said: "We are on track for July 19 and we have to be honest with people about the fact that we cannot eliminate Covid.
"The economic arguments for opening up are well known, but for me, the health arguments are equally compelling."
'RIGHT TIME'
Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling which provides modelling evidence to Sage, said July 19 is "probably the right time" to consider ending the wearing of face masks.
He told BBC Breakfast: "It's an interesting one. If we are going to do that I think probably this is the right time to consider that.
"We know that of course masks have helped throughout the pandemic in terms of reducing the risk a little bit, but they're part of a number of measures that do help to reduce the risk."
He said he has been worried about some commentators suggesting masks might be around for a long time, as he pointed out they can be difficult for people who are hard of hearing and those who struggle with their mental health.
"I think probably if we are going to remove them, 19th of July when we are seeing really low numbers of hospital admissions and low number of deaths, is probably the right time to consider it," he said.
He said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the changes on July 19 will be irreversible.
Dr Tildesley said: "The data is certainly looking pretty healthy right now but there's always a little bit of uncertainty.
"The epidemiologist in me will always kind of think well whilst we're in the summer we know that transmission is always a little bit low in the summer, people tend to socialise in outdoor settings a little bit more which also helps.
"As we move into the winter there is always a greater risk and there's always the potential for new variants to come along that evade the vaccine.
"So I think we do need to start thinking about that now, preparing for the winter and hopefully with a good booster vaccination campaign... hopefully we'll be well prepared moving forward and we won't need any sort of restrictions to be put in place as we move into the autumn and winter."
He added that as we move into the autumn he hoped Brits would have more of a "flu relationship with Covid".
He was asked about personal responsibility and the lack of social distancing among football fans, saying: "I think it's understandable that people are obviously very excited yesterday but of course there has to be some level of responsibility going forward."
HOLIDAY HOPE
Double-jabbed Brits returning from amber-list countries reportedly won't have to quarantine after July 19.
Mr Johnson is set to announce the move this week in welcome news for the struggling travel industry.
Downing Street sources said the decision wasn't confirmed yet as some details needed to be confirmed - including in relation to unvaccinated kids, the reported.
The sources also reportedly said that fully-vaccinated travellers would still have to take one Covid test before they left and another two when they got back.
The PM is also expected to lift strict quarantine rules on 'Freedom Day' on July 19.
Right now Brits who go overseas to amber-list countries have to stay inside for 10 days on their return.
The PM is also expected to to scrap the QR code sign-in requirement for pubs and restaurants to curb the number of Brits being forced to isolate through the NHS app.
In just three weeks, the government will ditch the rules which require businesses to collect customers' contact tracing details, The Times reports.
A host of measures will be introduced on Freedom Day to slash the red tape and cut the number of people being forced to isolate after being pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app.
Hospitality bosses have called for changes to the app amid complaints it is leading to staff shortages and could end up putting punters off visiting pubs and restaurants.
School bubbles will also be dropped to minimise disruptions to kids' learning.
Current rules require children to self-isolate if any of their classmates test positive - leaving parents forced to keep their children at home at short notice.
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Furious MPs besieged the minister with calls to crack on with binning the strict isolation rules that are proving a big headache for teachers and parents.
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confirmed the Government would be swapping the bubbles for routine testing "as quickly as possible".
Mr Williamson said: "Further steps will be taken to reduce the number of children who have to self-isolate including looking at the outcomes of a daily contact testing trial as we consider a new model for keeping children in schools and colleges."
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