The Government’s messaging on unlocking appears to be moving in the right direction. Asked when the Government will reveal more details about the final step of the roadmap out of lockdown, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said last week: “We need time to assess the latest data on this [Indian] variant… so I’m not going to give a set time for doing that.” Yesterday, the Chief Executive of the U.K. Health Security Agency said the numbers are “looking very good” for a June 21st reopening, and reports now suggest that an announcement from the PM on what will be included in the final step of the roadmap should take place this week. The specific date for Step Four will not, however, be announced until June 14th at the earliest. The Express has more.
England’s fourth and final stage in the roadmap back to normality is due to commence from June 21st at the earliest. The step will see most legal restrictions lifted as the U.K. returns to a semblance of normality.
Crucial reviews on whether social distancing and mask-wearing should remain beyond next month, as well as whether limits on numbers at weddings can be lifted, are set to be published this week.
The decisions are separate to the four-stage roadmap with the Cabinet Office carrying out an investigation on their necessity in recent weeks.
Relaxing the “one metre plus” rule and mask-wearing are seen as key parts of the return to normal, with the hospitality industry warning lower numbers in bars and restaurants due to the restrictions are taking their toll on businesses.
The commencement to Stage Four without the ending of compulsory social distancing would deal a significant blow to those hoping to put Covid firmly behind them this summer.
A fortnight ago the Prime Minister vowed to unveil the reviews by the end of this month.
Downing Street backtracked on the pledge last week following concern about the Indian variant of the virus spreading through the U.K.. …
Mr Johnson is now thought to be so confident in the data that he intends to make his announcement on the Covid reviews this week as was originally planned.
The announcement will not confirm if Stage Four is going ahead on June 21st but will give a clearer sense as to how much of pre-pandemic life will return when the last step is implemented.
The Prime Minister has said at least four weeks is needed to assess the impact on infections from the most recent easing of restrictions on May 17th.
A decision on Stage Four will be announced on June 14th at the earliest.
While the Indian variant is now thought to be dominant in some parts of the U.K., scientists are optimistic.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Sky News thinks otherwise and has reported that the review of social distancing rules is likely to be delayed because of the Indian variant.
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“Mask wearing and social distancing post lockdown”. Sorry that’s bollocks. Mask wearing and social distancing ARE lockdown.
Precisely. People with no faces told to avoid each another cannot be described as a “semblance of normality” either, even if so many are now conditioned to it being a permanent state of their lives.
As long as the rest of us aren’t forced or coerced into wearing masks, I won’t care. Those still psychologically addicted to them can get over it when they see other people not wearing one. Their PTSD and OCD is not my problem until they try to coerce me into copying them.
I’d rather see them discredited and gone completely, and it made illegal for any public access business to insist on them. But that’s wishing for too much.
Ultimately while we will all benefit from the lifting of whatever restrictions are lifted, to a greater or lesser degree, it’s irrelevant in the fight against the madness because it’s being done within the context of the madness. There’s no admission it has all been a mistake, and that is what is needed.
True, people who’ve so willingly bent to every whimsy their masters foisted on them won’t show contrition. Said masters may be brought to book though, sooner the better.
All jumping the gun of course – wars tend to go on.
From the government’s point of view there can never be an admission of mistake because Bozo and crew are simply taking orders.
To imply ‘mistake’ is to imply this has been a real health crisis except of course it hasn’t.
The SCAM continues. The “will they won’t they” is simply part of the narrative intended to keep anxiety levels up.
Evil. Evil. Evil.
Agree wholly.Face deleted, brain deleted, go put on the rest of your zombie grave clothes, I don’t care a bean.
Perhaps when they start getting lung disease from breathing in plastic fibres and bacteria…
Exactly. We are dealing with an ideology and a plan here, not genuine public health issues.
And people have stopped doing it of their own volition a long time ago – at least the people who can think for themselves that is.
We’ll be allowed to stop trying to build a dam out of fishing nets?
Perhaps two fishing nets will hold water?
What the muzzloids currently have is a net that holds water, but lets the fish through.
Stand by for Kim Jong Johnson to raise hopes then dash them while shifting the goalposts again with the prospect of lockdown being made permanent.
It’s like some weird Olympics…the goalposts are shifted in the football, the high jump bar starts at 9 feet and keeps being lifted, the sprint has been extended into a marathon and in the drugs test they inject you with performance-reducing drugs.
Yes I suspect there will be a last minute backdown “with a heavy heart”.
At best we will be permitted a few weeks of freedom before lockdown comes back in autumn. And we will still have to wear masks, probably forever.
Meanwhile Florida carries on with none of this bollocks, a functioning education system and economy, yet the entire UK govt sticks its fingers in its ears and say Lah can’t hear you when this is pointed out.
Also Japan, also Sweden.
Only a few of our states have returned to near normal. Plenty of crazies still in charge and about.
Aaaah yes of course. We need to get them hopeful before we impose new lockdowns and restrictions. We have to throw in a bit of optimism to balance things out.
“The Government’s messaging on unlocking appears to be moving in the right direction.”
You got that much right – it appears to be: this is all about appearance not reality. In my view there is not a cat in hell’s chance of mandatory mask wearing being removed after 21 June, except in some very limited circumstances e.g. pubs and restaurants. They are desperate to keep mask wearing because without mask wearing there is no crisis.
This is essentially a pro-lockdown piece.It accepts the government’s framework for discussion of these matters. It accepts the language in which government pronouncements are dressed up. It accepts the government is honest and acting in good will. It does not acknowledge at all that lockdownism is the most outrageous assault on our freedoms since the days of Combination Acts and suspension of habeas corpus, some 200 years ago.
If you’re right, civil disobedience is the only answer. I’m going to start in a small way by ignoring any questions or reminders about masks, and ceasing to wear a lanyard. Instead of saying, “I’m exempt” I will either ignore the question or say “I don’t wear a mask.”.
Julia Hartley-Brewer said she wouldn’t wear a mask after 21 June. Let’s see if she’s as a good as her word. Toby should be getting on board as well. We need some leaders! The Sainted Delingpole has always refused to wear one, it seems.
If I am wrong about continued compulsory masking I can’t tell you how relieved I will be. I will probably cry tears of joy…if the masks are off then the watchword must be “NEVER AGAIN!”
Alison Pearson, The Telegraph, has said the same. I don’t think Johnson has the stomach to face organised push-back of this sort.
Yes, there needs to be a co-ordinated campaign to say no more masks after 21 June.
Bit difficult for me to be involved as I’ve never worn one anyway.
Anyway, saying no more after 21 June does implicitly give them some legitimacy, which I refuse to do.
I accept your very good point about implicitly giving all this nonsense some legitimacy, but we are where we are. And let us all work from that.
Be interesting to see if Pearson and Hartley Brewer put their money where their mouths are. I think non-compliance with mask wearing is one of the most important things the average person who is against all this can do.
When ‘loosening restrictions’ is discussed the muzzle is always sidelined as a ‘minor inconvenience‘ that everyone’s got used to by now etc etc.
It’s fucking-well NOT and they should stuff their fucking nosebags down their fucking throats any time they think of saying they are.
Spot on. I simply walk past ignoring questions, none pursue me.
Some months ago I proposed that ALL Christians must attend church on Sunday 27 June (the first Sunday after 21 June) and do the following:
These suggestions received a lot of favourable comment on these forums; I thought then, and still think now, that this would be a very effective non-violent means of civil disobedience because I NEVER believed Johnson when he said that all restrictions would be removed. I still don’t.
While these suggestions received much favourable comment on here and on Reddit, when I attempted to get members of my groups (I teach Latin and Greek so the members of my groups are not dim), the response I received was at best cool. In other words, they would NOT do it. I openly expressed a lot of disappointment about this, but to no avail.
Just to complete this grim and pathetic picture I learn from another member of my prayer group that at his church they plan to continue all the covid nonsense (face-nappies, hand-gunk, anti-social distancing, the full deal) after 21 June.
I have no answer to this disgusting nonsense.
I have nothing but contempt for Welby and his entire bench of useless bishops but it seems that they are in tune with most Christians. Pathetic is too polite a word.
I, with a small group from my prayer group, will be at the demo on Saturday 29 May. I have some scripture verses in mind.
I tend to agree with you, save for the “hand gunk”. I don’t have a problem with decent hygiene anyway – hand washing, sanitising when necessary if soap and water not available, but otherwise all these petty rules (a lot of which are guidance, not law) must be revoked as must travel restrictions.
I haven’t worn one from day one, or a disabled label. When asked, and I have been on a few occasions, I simply reply that… I am one of the unlucky few who have been cursed with an above-average IQ. Usually elicits a blank stare.
We may as well face it. The world we had in 2019 is gone and its not coming back. These assholes are never going to give us back our freedoms unless we take them back ourselves.
I wear a lanyard and on June 21st I will no longer wear it. I was heartened to see over the weekend some younger people out and about without masks on – long may this continue
How on Earth cant they justify keeping masks? It should become voluntary. They have said themselves that the best evidence for mask wearing is weak. The fact that studies can neither confirm nor deny their effectiveness should be enough proof that making them a legal requirement is nonsense.
If we are all still masked up come September when seasonality returns it’ll be all too easy to slide back into another 9 month lockdown. The public will already be primed for it. No to masks!
If we don’t get rid of masks this summer I’m pretty much sure they will become permanent. Didn’t one of the goons say something like ‘wearing a mask – it’s only a little thing’ ? Much like whoever-it was’s brain then.
Even if they make them voluntary a lot of people will continue to wear them
Its time to end all restrictions and form autonomous zones with no masks or distancing required, or even banned completely. We must use this virus as a means to liberate us from the norms and constraints of society, and live as free people.
Should have lifted all these bogus, ineffective, unscientific restrictions last May.
In fact, they should never have been imposed at all.
Thank you for posting this well-written article.
Read well written guide on “HR Challenges of Building a Global Remote Workplace and How to Mitigate Them”
Social distancing is not law, it is guidance.
They will never relinquish control until they have to
With 1.6 BILLION non-biodegradable muzzles discarded every single month in the UK alone, why would they even consider relaxing that rule unless seriously pressurised? Just how much very recently non-existent cash has that magicked up from nowhere for a very lucky few?
As ever just follow the cash.
Never mind the environmental holocaust these filthy face knickers are spawning. When has that ever concerned anyone who earns those sorts of numbers?
Who doesn’t wish they’d got on to that particular gravy train a year or so ago? Come on, be honest.
Meanwhile they have increased the charge for single use plastic bags
If the Government and its scientific cronies do not let the country return to normal from 21 June then there will be quite justified civil disobedience from those of us that have not been brainwashed by the nonsense we’ve been exposed to for the past 15 months.