Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a four week delay to the releasing of lockdown measures on 21st June when he addresses the nation on Monday. The final decision will be made on Monday but scientific advisers are believed to be pushing for a four week delay to get more people fully vaccinated.
The Prime Minister and Government officials have been kept up to date on the spread of the Delta variant, which now makes up more than 90% of cases in the United Kingdom and with concerns that the variant is up to 60% more transmissible and that it is also more resistant to vaccines, the Government has been left with an extremely difficult decision to take.
It had been rumoured that weddings could be allowed to have unrestricted numbers of guests but that appears to have changed, with the likelihood that restrictions may be eased slightly to allow slightly larger numbers of guests to attend.
The news will come as a frustration to many in the nightlife industry, with limits on numbers allowed in bars likely to remain throughout Euro 2020 and nightclubs forced to remain closed unless they open as a sit down venue with restrictions on the number of people allowed in.
Financial support is likely to be given to those businesses affected, but for many this month long extension could put them even closer to the brink, during what is normally one of the busiest times of year.
Social distancing and the wearing of masks are both likely to continue, with scientists remaining concerned about the spread of the Indian variant across the UK. Over 8,000 cases of COVID-19 were recorded today (Friday), the highest increase since February.
