Government takes U-turn over Covid passport, masks as Javid confirms lockdown easing

UK government is taking a massive U-turn by tightening  advice on Covid passports, masks, vulnerable people and working from home, media reports claim, as the country’s lockdown is set to be axed as planned in seven days on July 19.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday (12) confirmed that legal restrictions on wearing masks, the "rule of six" indoors and the ban on nightclubs opening will be no longer applicable from July 19.

Telling the MPs that there will "never be a perfect time" to lift the restrictions, Javid added: "To those who say 'why take this step now' I say 'if not now, when?'”

Calling the country’s vaccine programme a “wall” that will prevent a surge in deaths and hospitalisations despite the rising cases, Javid said that the country can “withstand a summer wave”.

Meanwhile, media outlets reported that the government is taking a U-turn and will tighten the guidelines regarding masks, Covid passport and work from home post July 19, changing the track from what was communicated earlier.

Contradictory to the earlier stance that Covid vaccine passports will no longer be required, Javid said that the government will "encourage" businesses, such as nightclubs and bars, to begin asking customers for proof that they have a vaccine or negative test.

Latest reports state that the government is also looking at “forcing Covid vaccine passports at some venues” as Downing Street refused to rule it out as the cases continue to soar past 30, 000 a day.

“There are no plans to mandate that currently, clearly as a responsible government we will want to keep the situation under review dependent on the course of the pandemic,” the prime minister's spokesman said on Tuesday (13).

The declaration comes a week after the government's stance that made clear that “Covid status certification” would no longer be a legal requirement. 

Covid passport is one of the string of measures that are set to have a “tighter guidelines”, reports state, adding that more than two million clinically extremely vulnerable people will be advised to consider avoiding crowded places and meeting unvaccinated people all summer.

Meanwhile the government will “expect and recommend” people in England to wear face masks in “crowded areas such as public transport”, No. 10 said.

That is also a change from last week, when guidance said face coverings “reduce your risk and the risk to others” and people were told they will be able to make a “personal judgement” over the matter after July 19.