Back to normal in England marks the end of remote work and masks to be worn in school.
Many see it as an unscientific and very political choice by Johnson to distract voters from the party scandal.
A return to normality for England has officially began, removing a series of restrictions that have been useful until now to lower the pandemic curve and bring out the country of the pandemic peak which, according to experts, has been overcome.
As established by the British government, there is no more obligation to work from home and no more masks to be worn at school.
The second phase has been entered on the 27th of January, the official date when obligation of masks in public places were eliminated (even if the Mayor of London has decided to ask his citizens to always wear them while riding on public transport) and it is no longer necessary to show the NHS vaccination card before entering indoor places with more than 500 people, like discos or outdoor places with more than four thousand people, like events.
In addition, the obligation to undergo a swab test within 2 days for all double-vaccinated people arriving in the UK from abroad was also eliminated.
The Minister of Health announced to the nation that most likely this coronavirus will remain forever but in an endemic form, therefore controllable as it is done with the flu, if anything by resorting to a vaccination on a regular basis annual.
Will these numbers be enough to allow the United Kingdom to return to a life situation that can be considered pre-pandemic?
This is the doubt that many are asking themselves and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been inundated by controversy over the parties that have seen him involved directly, or indirectly through his staff, during the periods of lockdown.
For some, this lifting of the restrictions is seen as a kind of ‘sugar coating’ that Johnson wants to give to his constituents to swallow the bitter morsel represented by the scandals that are concerning him and therefore many see this choice as not very scientific but rather a political move.
Partygate is the name given to this political scandal and all reports of the parties organized by Boris Johnson and his staff since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
A long series of public and private events in which the lockdown rules were broken.
After a series of not-so-solid excuses, Johnson has now decided to move to a more concrete plan of action to try and solidify his leadership including taking action in the reopening of the country to boost the economy.
The attitude has shifted to a sort of acceptance of the virus: restrictions on personal freedom are no longer welcomed or tolerated by the people and UK citizens will now have to live with the novel coronavirus and take their own responsibility when it comes to vaccines, social distance and mask wearing.
Making the citizens more responsible is the right attitude I believe because it’s time to move on and shift to a post-pandemic status as well.
It is important for the industries, for tourism, for local businesses and for the mental wellbeing of people alike.
After ‘Freedom Day’ which we had last Summer and which did not go so well, I just hope this is truly the beginning of a new era, a post-pandemic and thriving one.