Scientists clear way to axe 2m rule after UK alert level falls

THE two-metre rule is finally set to be relaxed following a significant lowering of the virus alert level.

A Government source last night revealed that scientific advisers were now ‘totally comfortable’ with reducing the restriction – provided other precautions are in place.

These could include making sure buildings are properly ventilated, greater use of masks or the installation of screens where people might be too close together.

The remarks by the senior source are the biggest indication so far that scientists will not resist if Boris Johnson chooses to relax the two-metre rule.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister told the public to ‘watch this space’ when asked whether the rule would be eased in schools south of the Border. Mr Johnson has already announced a review into the controversial guidance in the face of mounting pressure from pub, hotel and restaurant chains, as well as his own backbench MPs.

The indication about the two-metre rule came as the UK’s four chief medical officers announced they were lowering the virus alert level from four to three.

This followed a dramatic reduction in the level of new infections, hospital admissions and deaths. The UK’s overall death toll has risen by 173 to 42,461.

Yesterday Mr Johnson urged the public to ‘start thinking of a world where we are less apprehensive of this disease’.

He said the UK Government would switch from a ‘one-size fits all’ national lockdown to local restrictions to contain smaller outbreaks. When asked by Sky News whether the two-metre rule would be scrapped for schools, Mr Johnson replied: ‘Watch this space, we will be putting in further changes as the science allows.’

A Government source later said scientific advisers were ‘totally comfortable’ relaxing the rule if ‘mitigation measures’ such as masks were introduced at the same time.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced he had commissioned a review into whether the two-metre rule will be relaxed, which would take advice from scientists, medical experts and economists.

A Lancet study this month found keeping one metre apart reduced the risk of infection to just 2.6 per cent compared to being within a metre. Two metres reduced it even further to 1.3 per cent. The UK’s two-metre rules are out of step with most other countries and the World Health Organisation.