After 16 months, life is slated to start again in England after the pandemic.
Premier Johnson wants to use the momentum, the economy is excited.
But questions remain.
London - Experts have reacted skeptically to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's unprecedented plans to end all corona measures in England.
The country is in unknown territory, said the virologist Devi Sridhar, the Sky News channel.
"This is a massive experiment and the world will be watching closely what happens when a new, dominant variant emerges."
Johnson had announced that all corona measures would be lifted in England from July 19. This eliminates the rules of distance and mask requirements, night clubs and discos are allowed to reopen, pubs can also serve guests at the bar. There are no longer any space restrictions for cinemas, stadiums, theaters and events. The prerequisite is that a review of the pandemic data on July 12 does not provide any reason for new delays. In addition, the government wants to announce soon whether fully vaccinated travelers from countries on a “yellow list” such as Germany will still have to go into quarantine for ten days after arrival.
Scientists and unions criticized above all that the mask requirement should be lifted. An association that represents relatives of corona victims also accused Johnson of acting as if the pandemic had been defeated. Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer called Johnson's plans "ruthless".
Business representatives, on the other hand, were pleased and relieved. The hospitality and tourism industries will celebrate the announcement, said UK Hospitality head Kate Nicholls. The British Beer and Pub Association pointed out that more than 2000 pubs could finally open that are currently still closed due to strict distance rules. For the events industry, the head of the Night Time Industries Association, Michael Kill, said the move was long overdue. The industry association CBI warned that companies must continue to put the safety of their employees first.
Premier Johnson said the vaccination program helped significantly weaken the link between new infections and deaths.
All adults in Great Britain should be offered a first corona vaccination by July 19, and two thirds should then have received the two doses considered necessary for full protection.
To increase the pace, the time between the two injections for under 40-year-olds is to be reduced from twelve to eight weeks.
In Great Britain, the number of infections has been rising sharply for weeks, and the authorities reported 27,334 new cases on Monday.
The seven-day incidence, i.e. the number of new infections per 100,000 people within a week, was last given as 229.9 (as of June 30).
The reason for this is the highly contagious Delta variant, which now accounts for almost all cases in Great Britain.
In the UK, health policy is a matter for regional governments. Johnson is responsible for most of England, which has no government of its own. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on the other hand, decide for themselves about their corona measures. dpa
