Roadmap To End Lockdown
As expected, with Coronavirus cases surging, the government has announced that Step 4 (essentially intended to see the end of the remaining COVID restrictions) will not now be implemented as hoped on 21st June but is paused for four weeks until 19th July while the vaccination programme is accelerated. However, the data will be reviewed after 2 weeks in case the risks have reduced. The government will continue to monitor the data and the move to Step 4 will be confirmed one week in advance.
England therefore remains under the conditions of Step 3, consequently –
- social distancing and face-covering rules remain in force
- people should continue to work from home where possible
- you can meet indoors with family and friends you do not live with either in a group of 6 from any number of households (children of all ages count towards the limit of 6) OR in a group of any size from up to two households (each household can include an existing support bubble, if eligible)
However, from 21 June, there will be some changes to the rules on:
- weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and wedding receptions or civil partnership celebrations
- commemorative events following a death such as a wake, stone setting or ash scattering
- large events pilots
- care home visits
- domestic residential visits for children
Full details of what currently you can and cannot do and of the changes mentioned please see here.
Acceleration of Vaccination Programme
To date almost 42 million people in the UK have had their first dose of a Coronavirus vaccination and 30 million their second. The Prime Minister has announced that although the successful vaccination programme is weakening the link between cases and hospitalisations, the latest evidence shows that two doses are needed to provide protection against the Delta variant. Consequently, all adults aged 18 and over will now be offered a first dose by 19th July, 2 weeks earlier than planned.
All adults aged 21 and over can now book their first dose by calling the NHS on 119 or on line on the NHS website here.
By 19th July, all those aged over 50 and the clinically extremely vulnerable will have been offered their second dose and those second doses will have taken effect.
Second doses for all over 40s will be accelerated by reducing the dosing interval from 12 weeks to 8 weeks. All over 40s who received a first dose by mid-May will be offered a second dose by 19th July.
Cases are expected to continue rising due to the transmissibility of the Delta variant, but with the acceleration of the vaccination programme hospitalisations are expected to stabilise.
Additional support is available for areas with high cases rates of the Delta variant, including surge testing, isolation support, and efforts to maximise vaccination uptake.
Stay well and keep safe and if you require help with shopping or prescriptions, please contact
Fr. Peter Mallinson (Bury) 839057 or Ken & Diana Rowsell (West Burton) 831475
