Senior ministers have signed off on the decision to delay the lifting of all legal restrictions on social contact. That could mean capacity limits for sports, pubs, and cinemas will remain, and nightclubs would stay closed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to confirm the delay later at a news conference. The issue is the British public has already seen thousands of heads of State and their entourage gather for the G7 summit Cornwall and the cat we think is finally out of the bag. The British public
The extension will be put to a Commons vote this month and could trigger a sizeable Conservative backbench rebellion.
England was due to move to stage four of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown on 21 June, when venues and events would be allowed to operate without capacity limits and the cap on guests at weddings would also be lifted.
But many scientists have called for the reopening to be delayed to enable more people to be vaccinated and receive second doses, amid rising cases of the Delta variant.
A delay would also allow for more work to be done on whether vaccines are breaking, or simply weakening, the link between infections and hospitalisations.
Health Minister Edward Argar told BBC Breakfast that he could not confirm the delay before the prime minister’s announcement, but that there was a “concerning increase” in cases of the Delta variant, and numbers in the hospital were “beginning to creep up”.
I think many people have had about enough with the government and their moving of the goalposts. Many feel at this point with all the Fauci leaks and Matt Hancock being revealed as corrupt. There is a huge distrust of the government, it seems rather sinister that just at the time when lockdown is to be lifted, there seems to be a magical rise in variants. Most people are tired and the pushback will be full scale. The British public will not go for another lockdown and Number 10 will need to hear that message loud and clear.
