England will move to stage four of the 'roadmap' on 19 July, Sajid Javid confirms

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that England will move to the next stage of the government's roadmap next Monday, 19 July.

The health secretary made the announcement at the House of Commons this afternoon (Monday 12 July).

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to hold a press conference at Downing Street later today to go through the changes.

During his update to MPs, Mr Javid said that "carefully removing" all the measures would be a "major milestone for the country."

He also said that government is on track to offer all adults a first vaccine by 19 July and that nine out of 10 adults now have antibodies against the virus as a result of the vaccination programme.

Mr Javid went on to say that lifting restrictions is "the most responsible decision we can take" and is "the start of a new phase of continued caution whilst we live with the virus and manage the risks. We simply cannot eradicate this virus, whether we like it or not. It is not going away."

Reaching the next stage of the roadmap "gives us the best possible chance of a return to normal life", he added.

Step four of the government's roadmap means a removal of all legal limits on the number of people meeting indoors and outdoors.

Social distancing and the legal obligation to wear a face covering will also come to an end, although individuals can choose to continue observing these precautions. Guidance will suggest where you might choose to wear a covering or distance, especially when cases are rising, and where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet in enclosed places, such as obviously crowded public transport.

All businesses will be able to re-open, including nightclubs. The limit on named visitors to care homes, and on numbers of people attending concerts, theatres and sporting events will be lifted.

Pubs and restaurants will no longer be restricted to table service only and there will be no limits on the number of guests at weddings and funerals.

There will be no Covid certificate required as a condition of entry to any venue or event, although businesses and events can certainly make use of certification and the NHS app gives you a Covid pass as one way to show your Covid status.

It will no longer be necessary for government to instruct people to work from home, so employers will be able to start planning a safe return to the workplace.

However, it will remain a legal requirement for people to self isolate if they test positive or are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace.

With regards to travel - adults who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine for 10 days after returning from amber list countries. Under 18s won't need to quarantine and the guidance recommending against travel to amber countries will be removed from 19 July.

Lifting restrictions does not mean that the risks from Covid-19 have gone. Indeed, cases are rising; locally the most recent figures show an average of 512 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending 5 July.

When the Prime Minister outlined the details of what would be permitted at Step 4 last week, he said: "As we predicted in the roadmap we’re seeing cases rise fairly rapidly - and there could be 50,000 cases detected per day by the 19th and again as we predicted, we’re seeing rising hospital admissions and we must reconcile ourselves sadly to more deaths from Covid.

"We will continue from Step 4 to manage the virus with a test, trace and isolate system that is proportionate to the pandemic. You will have to self-isolate if you test positive or are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace. But we are looking to move to a different regime for fully vaccinated contacts of those testing positive, and also for children. 

"From Step 4 we will maintain our tough border controls – including the red list – and recognising the protection afforded by two doses of vaccine, we will work with the travel industry towards removing the need for fully vaccinated arrivals to isolate on return from an amber country."

Building on the updated guidance on meeting friends and family, announced as part of Step 3, the government will provide advisory guidance on how people can manage the risks to themselves and to others. Individuals may choose to limit the close contact they have with those they do not usually live with in order to reduce the risk of catching or spreading Covid-19, particularly if they are clinically extremely vulnerable. It is important to respect and be considerate of those who may wish to take a more cautious approach as restrictions are lifted.

It sets out how the following behaviours are beneficial:

• Meeting in well-ventilated areas where possible, such as outdoors or indoors with windows open.
• Wearing a face covering where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet in enclosed and crowded spaces.
• Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day.
• Covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze.
• Staying at home if unwell, to reduce the risk of passing on other illnesses onto friends, family, colleagues, and others in your community.
• Considering individual risks, such as clinical vulnerabilities and vaccination status.

The government will continue to urge people to get vaccinated, and to self-isolate and get tested if they have symptoms. The public will continue to be encouraged to download and use the latest version of the NHS Covid-19 app to help reduce the spread of the virus.