Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives an update on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during a virtual news conference inside 10 Downing Street, in central London, Britain, March 18, 2021.
Tolga Akmen
Boris Johnson is expected to announce a delay to the next phase of England’s reopening of up to four weeks on Monday, amid a surge in the delta variant of Covid-19 first discovered in India.
Rules on the use of face masks, limiting the number of people who can meeting indoors and out, and shutting nightclubs and similar venues were due to be lifted on June 21, but British media reports suggest this could now be pushed back as late as July 19. At the moment, gatherings are limited to six people indoors and 30 outdoors.
People will also be advised to continue working from home where possible, according to reports.
New figures from Public Health England indicate that 42,323 cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus have now been confirmed across the U.K., an increase of 240% from last week, while the country’s transmission rate is at its highest since January.
More than 70 million vaccine doses have been administered across the U.K., with around 80% of the country having now received at least one dose. But a PHE paper in late May showed that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were only 33% effective against the delta variant after a single shot.
Johnson told Sky News on Saturday that he was prepared to be “cautious” in order to avoid any future reintroduction of lockdown measures.
When implemented, the fourth and final stage of the government’s “roadmap” out of lockdown will see all legal limits on social contact removed. Stage three on May 17 saw indoor hospitality and entertainment venues reopen, along with domestic overnight stays and international travel, subject to a traffic light system.
All three previous stages of the roadmap, which have gradually rolled back stringent nationwide lockdown measures in place from mid-December until March, have gone ahead as planned.
Investors did not seem too concerned about the potential for restrictions to remain in place for a further month, however, with Britain’s FTSE 100 up around 0.5% by late morning.
“Leisure companies could be worst affected by any delay to lockdown easing in England as it will require a continuation of the social distancing rules, meaning pubs and restaurants can’t operate at full capacity,” said Russ Mould, investment director at British stockbroker AJ Bell.
“However, investors don’t seem too bothered by the risk, perhaps because speculation points to a mere four-week delay, albeit during a seasonally busy time.”
