On July 19, almost all Corona regulations fall in England.
The government admits that the number of corona cases will continue to rise, but relies on personal responsibility.
Experts strongly doubt.
London - The imminent end of most corona rules in England has met with sharp criticism.
The head of the medical association BMA, Chaand Nagpaul, called the project on Tuesday "irresponsible and - to be honest - dangerous".
He warned of "potentially devastating consequences" and especially criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "The Prime Minister has repeatedly stressed the importance of slow and cautious action," said Nagpaul. But in reality the government is throwing all caution to the wind by lifting all regulations in one fell swoop. ”The government defended the announcement.
Johnson had confirmed the day before that almost all remaining corona rules will be lifted on July 19. This means that the obligation to keep a distance and the mask requirement no longer applies, night clubs are allowed to reopen, and there are no longer any audience restrictions for events. Johnson urged the population to continue wearing masks in places with many people, and urged discos and event organizers to check their guests with a digital vaccination card. However, this is not required by law. Due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, the number of new corona infections had recently increased significantly across the country.
There is a particular dispute about the mask requirement. Several stores announced that they would continue to insist that masks be worn in their rooms. Health Minister Sajid Javid said in parliament that mouth and nose covers still make sense in some situations. The government makes its decisions on the basis of the best possible scientific advice. "We believe people will use their common sense and follow that advice," said Javid. In contrast, government advisors have also made it clear that the easing is a political decision.
The scientific expert committee Sage, which advises the government, expects 1000 to 4800 hospital admissions and 100 to 400 deaths daily due to the corona easing - depending on how people behave.
A large nightclub operator has already refused to check vaccination records.
As the "Health Service Journal" reported, the number of corona patients in clinics increased by almost 50 percent in the past week.
The online magazine "Politico" quoted a cabinet member as saying that the government was flying blind.
Opposition Labor Party's health expert Jonathan Ashworth spoke of a “fatalistic approach” by the government.
“Not a perfect time” for opening
Finance Secretary Stephen Barclay told Sky News that there was no perfect time for the opening. The vaccination success now offers a time window, also in view of the upcoming school holidays. The country must "return to normal" and learn to live with the virus. However, he acknowledged that rules could be reintroduced if the situation worsened.
The easing only applies in England, which does not have a government of its own. As health policy in the United Kingdom is a national matter, the regional governments are responsible for the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon also announced further easing for July 19 on Tuesday. In the northern part of the country, in contrast to England, mask requirements will continue to apply, nightclubs will also remain closed, and there are upper limits for participation in private meetings and public events. dpa