The UK Government have confirmed that all remaining legal restrictions related to COVID-19 will be lifted next Monday (19 July). Full details of this announcement can be found on the Government website.
Restrictions including social distancing, wearing face coverings in specific settings and how many people can meet indoors and outdoors will no longer be enforceable under law.
However, this doesn’t mean that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, especially as case numbers are still rising sharply. Sadly, as we move forward and learn to live with COVID-19, more people will fall seriously ill and more people will lose their lives.
Regular testing, contact tracing and self-isolation will remain in place after Monday 19 July. The Government made a separate announcement about changes to self-isolation which are due to come into effect from Monday 16 August.
Every resident in Derby still has a moral responsibility to protect themselves and others by choosing to do the right thing for Derby. Residents should consider:
Wearing a face covering in crowded or indoor settings (such as supermarkets)
Keeping distance between themselves and people they wouldn’t normally come into contact with
Regularly washing or sanitising their hands
Continuing to use rapid lateral flow tests (LFT) twice a week when they don’t have symptoms
If they get a positive LFT result or develop symptoms of COVID-19, self-isolate with their household and book a PCR test at a local testing site or request a postal PCR test online or by calling 119
Get vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines are safe, effective and evidence has shown they help to sever the link between transmission, hospitalisation and death.
Dr Robyn Dewis, Director of Public Health commented
It’s been an extremely challenging 16 months but the pandemic is not over. Like much of the country, we’re seeing a huge rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the city and this, unfortunately, is beginning to translate into higher numbers of people in hospital.
The people of Derby have given so much support and consideration to one another over the last 16 months and I’m confident that we can continue to work together and do the right thing for Derby.
The most important thing we can all do is get vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination. Evidence is showing that vaccinations are saving lives and preventing people from needing care in a hospital or losing their lives. The more of us that are vaccinated, the easier it will be for us to live with COVID-19 in the future without needing restrictions on our day-to-day lives.
