Leading doctors have called for ‘targeted Covid measures’ to stay after July 19 in a bid to help control the spread of Covid amid the ‘alarming’ rise in cases.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said keeping some protective measures in place was ‘crucial’ to stop spiralling case numbers having a ‘devastating impact’ on people’s health, the NHS, the economy and education.
It comes as a new poll suggested more than half of British voters back the removal of all restrictions come Freedom Day.
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, is privately predicting that face masks will remain in use, particularly in confined spaces after July 19, according to the Times.
That’s despite more than half (58 per cent) of those polled in a new YouGov survey who say they are in support of removing any remaining restrictions, with less than 30 per cent opposing.
Although Whitty is comfortable as a backseat advisor while ministers make any final policy decisions, he has reportedly been telling colleagues that people might need to wear masks on public transport or in enclosed areas without social distancing.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said easing restrictions was not an ‘all or nothing’ decision, and that ‘sensible, cautious’ measures will be vital to minimising the impact of further waves, new variants and lockdowns.
He added: ‘As case numbers continue to rise at an alarming rate due to the rapid transmission of the Delta variant and an increase in people mixing with one another, it makes no sense to remove restrictions in their entirety in just over two weeks’ time.
