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England Reopens Despite Rocketing Covid 19 Cases

Majority Of Restrictions Removed To Help Strengthen Economy And Businesses

By Ashish PrabhuPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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The UK has now reached stage four on it's road map to releasing the lock down. This means that the majority of the remaining restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the Covid 19 virus can now be removed. This is considered to be a very risky step at this time as cases of the virus are rising dramatically due to the Delta variant, first discovered in India and the number of people who are being double jabbed with recommended Covid vaccines.

The country's progression on to stage four had to be delayed for a number of weeks as cases were high and not that many people were being vaccinated. Now that the vaccine has had time to catch up and been able to be injected in to people's arms, it is now deemed to be safe enough to remove the majority of the rest of the restrictions. There has however been much opposition to this step being taken from members of the public which has been fuelled by anti-vaccine propaganda which they may have found online and certain members of the medical profession who feel there will be an explosion of new cases that could overwhelm the NHS, once the restrictions are lifted.

The UK lifted it's Covid 19 restrictions on Monday nineteenth July and this has meant that there is now no legal obligation for people to wear face coverings when they are out in public or to observe social distancing restrictions. People are able to act freely but are also requested to use their own personal judgement when they are out and about, to assess whether particular situations are safe enough for them to be in, or whether they will cause an increase in the spread of the infection. People who have been double jabbed may still catch the virus, but it won't be as serious as it would have been had they not been vaccinated so should remove the element of being hospitalised due to the severity of the symptoms people face.

There are no more BBQ's in the rain or awkward conversations about who has to be dropped from indoor plans to keep to the rule of six.

Limits on social contact in England has disappeared, meaning people can meet inside or outside with as many people as they are happy to see.

There are no longer by any restrictions on the number of guests at weddings and mourners at funerals.

Large scale events, such as festivals or large sporting events, no longer require certification to go ahead, although organisers are encouraged to use vaccine passports to ascertain who has been double-jabbed.

Limits have also been lifted on businesses, meaning clubs can reopen and theatres and cinemas can return to normal capacities.

It isn't mandatory for all businesses to request proof from people that they have been double vaccinated, however Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that firms could choose to use a Covid status certification system so you may still need to prove that you've taken the vaccine or get tested.

All nightclubs have now been allowed to reopen again. These have been shut since the first lock down so will have lost a lot of revenue during this time and it will take them a while to recoup all the funds they have lost out on.

To gain entry to venues choosing to go down the NHS Covid Pass route, punters must be able to show proof of having been fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior, evidence of a negative lateral flow test in the past two days, or a positive PCR test in the past six months to confirm a level of immunity to Covid-19.

The Covid Pass on the NHS app shows proof of double vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity having recovered from coronavirus.

Although its use is voluntary for now, if cases continue to rise the government may consider making it mandatory in certain venues in future.

Guidance on people working from home has also now ended so it is ultimately up to your employer as to if they want you to come in to the office or you can still work from home or on location.

If anyone experiences Covid related symptoms, all the people you share a home with must also self-isolate for ten days until the risk of the infection spreading has gone away. This will help prevent future break outs of the virus where larger groups of people may have to isolate and bring society to a stand still.

Limits of the number of people who can visit their friends and relatives in care homes have also been lifted so now people who may be elderly or disabled, won't feel as isolated and will be able to have more support from their friends and family. Something which has had to stop during the pandemic to help protect the lives of all vulnerable people.

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