Downing Street Press Conference

Comments by Prime Minister Boris Johnson

The Prime Minister began this evening’s press conference by noting that the final decision to ease lockdown restrictions will be taken on 12th July, and warned that the country was experiencing a surge in case numbers, as well as an uptick in hospitalisations. Continuing, the PM said that by the 19th July, there could be at least 50,000 coronavirus cases confirmed every day, and that the country had to reconcile itself to the fact that there would be further deaths to come.

Despite this, Johnson praised the effectiveness of the vaccine, and noted the dramatic decrease in mortality rates, with the majority of those now in hospital with coronavirus not having been vaccinated. He stressed how summer presented a good opportunity to open up further, with alternative options – such as opening in winter or waiting until next year – placing unacceptable amounts of pressure on people’s livelihoods and wellbeing.

Should the government confirm that England will move to step 4 on 12th July, the following
changes will be made to current restrictions on 19th July.

• The interval between vaccine doses for the under-40s will be reduced from 12 weeks
  to 8. The PM confirmed everyone over the age of 18 should be double jabbed by mid September. An autumn booster programme will also run for those considered
  vulnerable.
• All legal coronavirus restrictions will end, with no more legal limits on the number of people allowed to meet indoors or outdoors. All businesses, including nightclubs, will be allowed to open, and 1m+ social distancing will also end.
• The limit on named care home visitors will end, and restrictions on the number of people attending theatres, sporting events and concerts will also come to an end.
• The legal requirement to wear a facemask will end, however guidance will suggest
  when in enclosed spaces, such as public transport, to continue to wear one – people
  will be advised to exercise “personal responsibility”.
• The government will no longer advise firms to work from home.
• There will be no need for covid certification as a condition of entry to an event,
  however businesses can make use of covid certification, with the NHS app one way of
  showing your covid status.
• Self-isolation will continue for those who test positive for the virus, as well as those
  identified by NHS Test and Trace. The government is looking to remove the need for
  self-isolation for double vaccinated contacts, as well as for children.
• The Education Secretary will announce plans tomorrow which will look at the removal
  of contact-isolation for children as well as year group bubbles.
• The Transport Secretary will continue to work with the travel industry, and look at the
  possibility of removing the need for double vaccinated individuals to self-isolate
  following their return from an amber listed country.
• The government will continue to monitor coronavirus data and will maintain
  contingency measures should they be necessary.

Comments by Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance

Providing an update on the latest data collected by SAGE, Sir Patrick noted that there was a
sharp increase in case numbers, with current rates doubling every nine days. Continuing however, he outlined that the surge in cases was not causing a surge in hospitalisations, despite noting that numbers were trending upwards. With regards to deaths from coronavirus, he also outlined how these were increasing, but at a far less steep rate than case numbers.

Concluding, Sir Patrick stated that the country was experience a sharp rise in cases, an uptick in hospitalisations as well as a small increase in deaths. He praised the effectiveness of the vaccine, noting that it had gone a long way to “weaken” the link between infection and hospitalisation, yet despite its effectiveness this link has not yet been broken. He expected cases, hospitalisations, and deaths to increase over the coming weeks.

Questions.

• With regards to a question on the link between the vaccine and the risk of experiencing long covid, Professor Whitty noted it was not yet clear if the vaccines could prevent long covid, yet stated that in a high proportion of cases, the vaccine was effective at preventing people from catching the virus in the first instance.
• Continuing, Professor Whitty stressed that further research was being undertaken to see if children should be given the vaccine, and that while vaccinating children would help protect them “to a high degree”, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was assessing if the benefits of this approach outweighed the negatives. He stressed that children were at a very low risk of experiencing serious covid symptoms.
• In response from a question from BBC Deputy Political Editor, Vicky Young, on the
  numbers the PM expects to be in hospital after 19th July, Johnson responded by stressing that there will be “sadly more deaths”, yet reaffirmed his position by asking “if we don’t go ahead now, when the summer firebreak and the school holidays are coming up, then when would we go ahead?” – The PM noted that a third wave is to be expected, and that he would continue to monitor the data.
• When asked why the government isn’t waiting to vaccinate all adults fully before
  reopening, Professor Whitty stressed that the matter is for policy makers, not advisors, and added that the consensus in the scientific community was that a four-week delay to the roadmap was the sensible option. Professor Whitty admitted that there were risks associated with reopening, yet agreed with the Prime Minister that there were advantages to progressing with the roadmap in the summer, rather than the winter months.
• On the subject of contact isolation for children, the PM outlined that the Education
  Secretary would be providing further details of the government’s plan this week, yet
  stressed that he wanted to see a different approach to managing the virus in schools.
• Following a question from Sky Political Editor Beth Rigby, the PM cautioned against
  thinking the 19th July brings an end to the pandemic, saying “I don’t want people to
  feel that this is, as it were, the moment to get de-mob happy, this is the end of Covid.
  We are very far from the end”. Professor Whitty added that winter would be a tricky
  period for the country, and that the transmissibility of the delta variant was a continued concern.
• The PM asked England supporters to behave “enthusiastically but responsibly” when
  asked if he was concerned that Euro 2020 events were acting as “superspreaders”.

Further information for the rest of the UK

The Scottish Government has outlined plans to move all Scottish local authorities to ‘Level 0’ on 19 July, with remaining restrictions set to be lifted on 9th August. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to provide an update on progress towards this target tomorrow. The Scottish Parliament is now in recess; however, two virtual sittings have been arranged for 13th July and 3rd August to facilitate the announcement of future changes to lockdown restrictions.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce the next stage of Wales’ reopening on 16th July.

Contact us
Alan Boyd-Hall
Head of Public Affairs
Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings
London | WC2A 1AN
M +44 (0) 7824 437 472