June 21 lockdown rules in England: Will all social distancing restrictions be lifted?
12 April 2021, 08:11
Do we still have to wear masks after 21 June and what will the new rules be?
Back in February, Boris Johnson unveiled his roadmap for getting England out of lockdown.
And as the restrictions start to loosen across the country, with pubs and shop opening, eyes are now turning to June 21.
This is when the prime minister hopes that lockdown will be completely eased. So what will the lockdown rules be for June 21? Here’s what we know…
June 21 lockdown rules in England
From June 21 at the earliest, it's hoped that all of the legal limits on social contact can be removed.
This would mark the final stage of the Government's four-point roadmap plan.
On June 21, the aim is to reopen sectors of the economy which haven’t been able to welcome customers since March 2020.
This includes nightclubs, large events and performances, as well as big weddings and other parties.
However, before this can happen, coronavirus cases in England must continue to fall across the country.
The PM stressed that the changes are dependant on four key steps which all have to be met, including:
- The vaccine deployment programme continues
- Jabs are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths
- The infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations
- The risk is not changed by new variants
Next step of lockdown roadmap given go-ahead by Boris Johnson
Asked what the future will look like after June 21, Mr Johnson previously told a Downing Street press conference: “I think a great deal depends on the continuing success of the vaccine rollout and us continuing to satisfy the four tests.
“If things continue to go well, I do think for many people in many ways, life will begin to get back to at least some semblance of normality.”
Do we still have to wear masks after 21 June?
While Mr Johnson is hoping for ‘some sense of normality’ but the summer, many scientists are warning face masks could be used ‘for some time’ yet.
Study author Dr Yevhen Suprunenko, a research associate in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, said measures such as wearing face coverings, used properly alongside the vaccine rollout, could help to achieve a better outcome.
He said: “More effective use of control measures like face masks and hand washing would help us to stop the pandemic faster, or to get better results in halting transmission through the vaccination programme.
“This also means we could avoid another potential lockdown.”
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