The British government believes it is time for normalcy to be restored. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced plans Monday to eliminate all economic and social restrictions that are related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson stated that instead of imposing rules on behavior, it will be about individual responsibility. England will treat COVID-19 as if it were the seasonal flu. These changes will not apply to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Wales which are responsible for their health policy decisions.AdvertisementJohnson acknowledged that more cases will be likely if the restrictions are lifted. Johnson said that it was the right moment. It is important to be open with ourselves and admit that we may not be able to reopen society within the next few weeks. Johnson stated this at a news conference.AdvertisementAdvertisementJohnson made it clear that the pandemic was far from over. He said that we must accept the fact that COVID will continue to kill more people. However, the government will confirm that July 19 will see the end of most restrictions. This is assuming nothing happens in the coming days. While masks will not be required after that date, some businesses and transport may still require them. Social distancing rules will be eliminated. Night clubs can reopen in 16 months. Customers won't need to give their contact information to enter a bar or restaurant. Employers can also call their workers back to work by stopping the government from promoting remote work when possible.AdvertisementJohnson warned that restrictions may make a comeback. Johnson stated that if there is a new variant of the virus, or if the vaccines fail to work, we must take all necessary precautions to protect the public. Despite the fact that COVID-19 has been on the rise, data from public health shows that vaccines have proven to be highly effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization. On Monday, 86% of adults had received at minimum one dose and 64% had received two.AdvertisementEurope and the rest of the world will be watching closely to see what happens in Britain. We will also be looking to see if it becomes a model for others. Devi Sridhar from the University of Edinburgh's global public health program, says that the world is looking at the U.K. as it tries to figure out what high vaccine uptake and living with Covid looks like. We will find out if they have gambled well or if we end up with another wave of high hospitalizations in the next few weeks.Many were quick critics of the decision, especially the removal of laws that required face masks. Mayors from hard-hit areas pledged that they would require public transport to continue using masks. Some scientists were critical of the plans. One called it a recipe to disaster, as it leaves too many things up for chance. According to Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, Dr Griffin believes that a government should abdicate responsibility for guiding people. Even if most people are as sensible as they say, it takes only a few to reverse that altruism. Masks stop us from spreading the virus first.
