Boris Johnson to confirm lifting of most remaining Covid restrictions in England

Boris Johnson will on Monday confirm that most remaining Covid-19 laws in England will be lifted on July 19, but businesses will now be “expected” to apply new guidelines to control the disease.

The UK prime minister wants to scrap “government by diktat” but he will pass responsibility to businesses, other public bodies and individuals to try to contain the epidemic, which is spreading rapidly.

Johnson will announce that an unspecified list of “high risk” indoor venues, such as nightclubs, will be “expected” to require Covid certification from their customers, although it would not be a legal requirement.

Similarly, the prime minister will scrap the “work from home” rule but government officials said staff would be encouraged to make a “gradual return to the workplace over the summer months”.

Another guideline will say the public are “expected” to wear a mask in crowded places, including public transport and shops, but there will be no legal requirement to do so.

With ministers admitting that daily case numbers could soar to a record 100,000 after legal restrictions are lifted, Johnson will send out a message of “caution and restraint”.

Media talk of “freedom day” on July 19 has been replaced by a realisation in Downing Street that the public, according to opinion polls, would favour a much more cautious approach to lifting final restrictions.

While ministers were boasting earlier this month about throwing away their masks at the earliest opportunity, Downing Street said on Monday that all ministers would follow the post-July 19 guidance to cover their faces in crowded situations.

The new government approach will replace legal certainty with a number of legally grey areas, which are likely to cause consternation in some business sectors.

For example, government officials have so far been unable to say precisely which kinds of venues will be “expected” to demand Covid certification from customers.

The rule is expected to cover mainly indoor venues where people mix in large numbers in enclosed spaces, such as nightclubs, but officials could not say whether the guideline would apply to pubs.

While officials said they expected businesses “to behave sensibly, given the high prevalence of the disease”, they confirmed that a nightclub could legally operate up to its fire limit without requiring Covid certificates.

Public transport is also likely to become a contested space when it comes to the wearing of masks, with the removal of any legal requirement to wear a face covering but a government “expectation” that people should do so.

London mayor Sadiq Khan is discussing with union chiefs and transport bosses whether to require the wearing of masks on public transport in the capital as “a condition of carriage”.

The prime minister will announce that the government’s tests for moving to “step four” of the lockdown road map have been met — notably the severe weakening of the link between infections and hospitalisations.

But ministers accept the need to accelerate vaccinations among younger age groups. “You can expect England footballers to feature in some publicity in the coming days — urging people to get a jab,” said one minister.

Johnson, who will address a Downing Street press conference at 5pm, has been accused of being “reckless” by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. He said some legal restrictions should be retained, particularly the requirement to wear masks in crowded places including public transport.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which have devolved authority over health policy, are taking a more cautious approach to easing restrictions.

On Sunday, another 31,772 cases of coronavirus were reported in the UK, along with 26 deaths. Javid has said he expects daily new cases to reach 100,000 within weeks after restrictions are lifted.

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