THE delay to ‘freedom day’ was the right thing to do, says the Royal Borough’s health lead, as a surge in cases pauses plans to fully lift restrictions.

In the government’s road map, they planned to ease lockdown restrictions, including scrapping social distancing, completely on June 21.

Businesses still closed, such as nightclubs, as well as cinemas and restaurants who hoped to return to full capacity were banking on this lifting, dubbed freedom day, to come to fruition.

However, due to a surge in Covid-19 cases thanks to the delta variant, which was originally detected in India, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this final easing will be pushed back to July 19 in order to get more people vaccinated.

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While businesses were left disappointed by this delay, the Prime Minister said July 19 was ‘looking good’ for the end of lockdown – but warned there could be a ‘rough winter’ such as the resurgence of flu.

Reacting to the delay, Royal Borough councillor Stuart Carroll, lead member for health as well as being an epidemiologist and on the UK vaccine task force, said it was ‘right’ for the government to delay the roadmap to pushback a growing third waves of infection and disease.

He said: “It is vital everyone who is eligible gets their vaccine and both doses as this is the best way for us to ensure individual protection and build up population immunity. Testing is also essential and basic public health protocols.

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"I continue to call on the government to provide further financial and practical support to affected sectors such as the arts and culture to ensure the protection of this vital sector during this difficult time.

“Use of testing status and vaccine passports must continue to be piloted to see how we can best live with this virus as we seek to reduce transmission and cases to save lives, protect the NHS and advance public health, whilst ensuring livelihoods are not permanently rendered unviable.

“That balance is challenging but one we must all keep striving to strike as we work through this difficult pandemic world.”