Masks to stay in Scotland as Johnson called ‘reckless’
●Labour attacks Prime Minister as Scotland to keep face coverings
The Scottish Government has insisted face masks remain “hugely important” as Boris Johnson unveiled plans for scrapping restrictions in England in just two weeks’ time.
At a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister placed an emphasis on trusting the public’s judgement as he said the legal requirement for mask-wearing and social distancing would end.
It comes ahead of the so-called “freedom day” in England on July 19, with a decision on the exact date due next week.
Mr Johnson said: “We’re seeing rising hospital admissions and we must reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths from Covid.
“In these circumstances we must take a careful and a balanced decision.
“And there’s only one reason why we can contemplate going ahead to step four in circumstances where we’d normally be locking down further, and that’s because of the continuing effectiveness of the vaccine rollout.
“And we must be honest with ourselves that if we can’t reopen our society in the next few weeks, when we will be helped by the arrival of summer, and by the school holidays, then we must ask ourselves ‘when will we be able to return to normal?’
“And to those who say we should delay again – the alternative to that is to open up in winter when the
will have an advantage, or not at all this year.”
The decision to scrap maskwearing was immediately branded “reckless” by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, and the Scottishgovernmenthasinsisted face coverings will continue to have a role to play in the fight against coronavirus.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As the First Minister has set out, we will have to manage living with Covid-19 for some time to come, even when we are able to move beyond Level 0.
"While we hope we are in the process of emerging from the pandemic, case rates at the moment underline the fact that this virus is still with us.
"Physical distancing, face coverings, hand-washing, staying at home if you have symptoms and getting tested, some flexibility from employers with regards home-working and – above all – getting vaccinated will all continue to be important tools in helping keep transmission down, and part of the collective, civic duty we all owe to each other.
“Face coverings are a hugely important mitigation in the fight against Covid-19 as they create a physical barrier that helps stop the virus spreading from an infected person, while providing a degree of protecvirus
tion to the wearer against exposure to the virus. At least for a period, we are therefore likely to require the continued wearing of face coverings in certain settings — for example, shops and public transport.
"We are engaging with a range of sectors ahead of final decisions being made.”
The changes in England come despite ministers admitting “hospitalisations, serious illness and deaths from Covid will continue”.
Mr Johnson insisted he must “balance the risk” of the disease from the virus and restrictions which “inevitably take their toll on people’s lives and livelihoods, on people’s health and mental health”.
Under the plans in England there will be no limits on social contact, meaning the end of the orders such as the “rule of six” and restrictions on guests at weddings and mourners at funerals.
While the legal requirement
to wear face coverings will be lifted, guidance will suggest people may like to do so in crowded areas.
All remaining businesses will be able to reopen, including nightclubs, while capacity caps will be lifted and bars and restaurants will no longer be restricted to table service. It also sees the end of the work from home order.
The limit on named care home visitors will be also be scrapped, but infection control measures will remain in place.
Mr Johnson also made clear there would be no requirement for the so-called vaccine passports, but admitted firms will be able to set up the system themselves.
The gap between vaccine doses for under-40s will also be reduced in England from 12 weeks to eight, meaning that all adults will have the opportunity to be double-jabbed by mid-september.
A new poll by Yougov suggests that 71 per cent of people believe face coverings should continue to be mandatory on public transport once restrictions are lifted.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer noted the rapidly rising infection rates as he issued perhaps his most critical response to Mr Johnson’s coronavirus plans yet.
“To throw off all protections at the same time when the infection rate is still going up is reckless,” he told reporters following Mr Johnson’s press conference.
“We need a balanced approach, we need to keep key protections in place, including masks, including ventilation and crucially, something we’ve been asking for through the pandemic,properpaymentsto those who need to self-isolate.”
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth warned the government’s strategy “accepts infections will surge further and continue to rise steeply”.
Hetoldthecommons:“some of those hospitalised will sadly die and thousands upon thousands, mostly children and younger people but others as well, will be left exposed to a virus mainly because they have no vaccination protection – but we also know even when doubled jabbed you can catch and transmit the virus – and many of them will be at risk of serious long-term chronic illness, the personal impact of which may be felt for years to come .”
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said on Sunday that infection rates and hospitalisations will be taken into account ahead of the Scottish Government’s planned move to level 0 on July 19.
The First Minister had previously said unlocking would depend only on vaccination rates, and not be linked to levels of infection.
Earlier yesterday Douglas Ross had urged the Scottish Government to stick to its timetable of moving to Level 0 later this month, while attacking it for “critical failures” which have resulted in rising case numbers.
The Scottish Conservative leader said that despite Scotland being a European Covid hotspot, problems with the test and protect system, and “failures” within the vaccination programme, Ms Sturgeon had to ease lockdown restrictions as originally planned.
He added: “It would be completely unforgivable if the SNP’S failure to get on top of rising cases, their failure to support an effective test and protect system and their failures in getting vaccines in people’s arms fast enough meant further devastating delays for individuals and businesses.”