New health secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed the date for lifting England’s remaining Covid restrictions remains 19 July.
Addressing MPs in the Commons this afternoon, he resisted pressure from Conservative MPs to bring forward the date of Step 4 of the road map but said there was “no reason” why the July 19 deadline would not be met.
He said: “The more people that are getting vaccinated, we’re seeing clear evidence that we’re breaking the link - and this is absolutely crucial - between people getting infected by Covid-19, so the number of cases, versus those that are ending up, sadly, in hospital or even in some cases losing their lives.
“The more evidence we see of that, the more confident that can make us that we’ll put this pandemic behind us.
“That’s what gives me confidence about July 19 and all the data that I’ve seen - yesterday I sat down and discussed it with the experts, some of my colleagues - it’s very clear that we’re heading in the right direction and I am very confident about that date, July 19.”
Health bosses had earlier urged Mr Javid to be a “voice of caution” in the Cabinet over the pressures that the pandemic is piling on the NHS.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said it was looking “very likely” that 19 July would be the date for lifting restrictions, allowing the UK to return to relative normality.
Elsewhere, top military chiefs are self-isolating after Sir Nick Carter, the head of Britain’s military tested positive for coronavirus. Defence secretary Ben Wallace is among those affected.
