England could be the first country to remove face masks from airline passengers. This is after ministers of government stated that they want to return to normality and have a more permissive regime which encourages personal responsibility over government rules.Face mask rules may be relaxed on Freedom Day, July 19, when COVID-19 regulations such as enforced social distancing or work from home orders will be repealed.Reinholds Nulle/ Shutterstock.comBoris Johnson, Prime Minister, is set to approve lifting mandatory face mask rules for crowded public places such as supermarkets and bars despite objections from experts who have been advising government as well as doctors' groups that want targeted interventions to continue in the future.Johnson and his cabinet are confident that the UK's highly-acclaimed vaccination program has broken the link between infection and death, despite alarming increases in infections.The latest government statistics show that over 85% of British adults have had at least one dose COVID-19 vaccine, and that over 63% are fully vaccinated.Johnson has yet to reveal what Freedom Day will look like in the next few hours, although it is possible that some restrictions may remain. However, Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary, stated that the government's plans to eliminate nearly all pandemic regulations were positive on Sunday morning.Jenrick stated that it seems like we can move on and to a more permissive system, where we get rid of many of the restrictions that were so hard and learn to live well with the virus. Jenrick spoke to Sky News.Other measures to be eliminated include the checking-in requirement at bars, cafes, and restaurants, as well as domestic vaccine passports. It is also possible that fully vaccinated individuals will need to self-isolate from positive cases if they come in contact with one.Boris Johnson has been asked by the British Medical Association (BMA), to refrain from an all-or-nothing approach. They also want him to maintain some rules, including face masks for certain situations.Because of the high-infectious Delta variant, the World Health Organisation (WHO), has recommended that face masks be worn by all persons, even those who have been fully vaccinated.Although Johnson has not confirmed the news, it is possible that Johnson may keep the face mask rules in effect for passenger and public transport. British airlines will need to adhere to any face mask rules set forth by other countries. However, they will be permitted to maintain their own rules if necessary.Some passengers might feel more comfortable wearing a mask on the plane than not. Particularly considering that social distancing on planes has never been an issue during the pandemic.
