Boris Johnson takes another gamble by lifting England lockdowns

Daily cases surge, businesses raise staff shortage fears over self-isolation

Boris Johnson’s decision to ease remaining coronavirus restrictions in England has sparked fears and calls for caution, raising concerns that a surge in infections will put pressure on hospitals and Britain’s health. 
 

Johnson’s government is due to lift remaining coronavirus restrictions for England in a day it’s dubbed “Freedom Monday.” As daily coronavirus case numbers are continuing to rise across the UK, businesses have raised concerns about staff shortages due to the numbers of people being told to self-isolate.
 

However, the government has said its successful vaccination programme will serve as a wall between a rise in cases being followed by a rise in hospitalisations and deaths.
 

Johnson’s aspirations have already been hampered by knock-on effects from the sharply rising cases. UK workers are expected to isolate after being contacted by the government’s coronavirus contract tracing app, and businesses from stores to car factories reported disruptions this week after more than half a million people were “pinged.”
 

Under the rules in place, there is a legal obligation to self-isolate if the NHS Test and Trace directly calls someone to inform someone about a Covid positive contact.
 

The NHS Covid contact tracing app also pings people to alert them of such a contact, but being pinged is only a guidance to self-isolate and not a legal requirement.
 

Latest figures show over 500,000 people were pinged by the NHS app in a week, leading to concerns over the system being over-sensitive and resulting in many deleting it from their smartphones to avoid self-isolation.
 

With social distancing and mandatory wearing of masks due to end on July 19, Johnson is moving forward with dropping virus measures even as a new wave of the pandemic takes hold. According to modeling by the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), daily hospital admissions are expected to reach 1,000-2,000 per day in August and more than 200 daily deaths are expected.
 

Johnson urged caution when announcing the decision on July 12, urging the public to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces and on buses and trains. He said that while the general directive to work from home will end, “we do not expect the whole country to return to their desks from Monday.” He said businesses should plan for a “gradual return to work over the summer”.

‘Unfolding disaster’
 

The question is whether Johnson’s move is too much of a gamble: although the country’s vaccination roll out has significantly weakened the link between rising virus cases and hospitalizations and deaths, a resurgent pandemic would mean more pressure on the NHS and will add to the uncertainty for businesses.
 

Doctors Association UK, a non-profit organisation, said a surge in coronavirus cases would be a “disaster” for hospitals as the 

NHS already faces an unprecedented workload, with many staff self-isolating.  
 

“The disaster that awaits us in autumn and winter is the largest public health experiment ever conducted,” said Elizabeth Toberty, a general practitioner and spokeswoman for DAUK. “The government’s strategy to open up completely lacks logic and stands to put both patients and public services at risk.”
 

A survey of 2,500 doctors by the British Medical Association found that 90 per cent wanted masks to remain mandatory on public transport, and 78 per cent wanted them to continue to be worn in stores.

In U-turn, PM to isolate after Covid +ve contact 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will spend 10 days self-isolating after contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, his office said Sunday — reversing an earlier announcement that he would not have to quarantine. Johnson's 10 Downing Street office said on Sunday that the prime minister and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak were both alerted overnight by England’s test-and-trace phone app.

He had a meeting on Friday with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. Javid, who has been fully vaccinated, says he is experiencing mild symptoms.  

‘Long Covid’ fears grow in Britain as Delta surges

For about 1 million people across the UK Covid-19 didn’t just go away. Instead it lingered, causing exhaustion, shortness of breath, cognitive issues and other health problems. With England preparing to lift virtually all curbs even as cases are surging again, scientists are concerned that the numbers impacted by what has become known as “long Covid” will climb much higher.

In a bid to understand more, the UK’s National Institute for Health Research on Sunday announced about 20 million pounds ($27.5 million) in funding for 15 studies analysing the causes of long Covid and its physical and mental health impacts. Britain  has fully vaccinated 53.2 per cent of its population.