The Prime Minister will host a press conference this afternoon
(Monday 12th July) to confirm whether England can move to step 4
of the Roadmap.
Step 4 is expected to begin on Monday 19th July if the
government’s “four tests” for easing Covid restrictions have been
met.
The Health and Social Care Secretary will announce the plans to
parliament.
The four tests are:
- The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
- Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in
reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
- Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which
would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
- Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by
new Variants of Concern.
The Prime Minister is expected to urge the public to remain
vigilant and exercise caution, praising the efforts of the
country for the progress made so far while warning that the
pandemic is not over and that caution will be key in the coming
weeks.
The latest data will be presented, with current modelling
suggesting that Covid cases will continue to rise as restrictions
are eased. Hospitalisations, serious illness and deaths will also
continue, albeit at a much lower level than before the
vaccination programme.
As of 10th July, a total of 80.3 million vaccine doses have been
administered in the UK, with 45.7 million adults receiving a
first dose (86.9%) and 34.5 million adults receiving both doses
(65.6%).
The move to step 4 was delayed by up to four weeks so every adult
could be offered a vaccine. 6.8 million first and second doses
have already been administered in England during the delay so
far.
The delay has also moved the probable end of restrictions to a
point closer to the school summer holidays, when transmission is
expected to be lower. Reopening at a point later in the year may
increase pressure on the NHS because of winter illnesses such as
flu
Analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of
Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an
estimated 8.5 million infections and 30,000 deaths in England
alone.
It is vital that people keep coming forward to get both jabs when
called, with data from PHE showing COVID-19 vaccines are highly
effective against hospitalisation from the Delta variant. The
analysis suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective
and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against
hospitalisation after two doses.
The vaccination rollout will continue to accelerate by bringing
forward second doses for under 40s to eight weeks – meaning the
entire population will benefit from maximum protection more
quickly.
Prime Minister said:
“We are tantalisingly close to the final milestone in our roadmap
out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come
with a warning.
“While the phenomenal vaccine rollout has offered every adult
some protection against the virus, and the crucial link between
cases, hospitalisations and deaths is weakened, the global
pandemic is not over yet.
“Cases will rise as we unlock, so as we confirm our plans today,
our message will be clear. Caution is absolutely vital, and we
must all take responsibility so we don’t undo our progress,
ensuring we continue to protect our NHS.
