The House of Commons of the UK Parliament approved on Wednesday the government’s proposal to postpone the deadline for lifting quarantine restrictions in England until July 19 due to the surge of COVID-19.
In favor of extending social restrictions in England voted 461 members of parliament, against — 60.
The move was proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on June 14 over concerns about the third wave of the pandemic and the spread of the Indian strain of COVID-19. The authorities planned to completely lift restrictions in England on June 21.
Scotland earlier also refused to lift restrictions, planned for June 7, and tentatively pushed the date to June 28.
According to Johnson, the authorities need more time to vaccinate as many people as possible. The government has already accelerated the vaccination program: by July 19, London plans to vaccinate two-thirds of the population aged over 30, while those in the 18-24 age bracket began receiving their first shots.
Currently, the restrictions include the ban on indoor mass events, the closing of nightclubs, social distancing and mask-wearing. The government has recommended to continue working remotely, if possible. Shops, pubs and restaurants are open and can serve visitors indoors.
The number of new cases continues to grow in the UK, exceeding 9,000 daily infections as of Wednesday.
