Ease of lockdown will be delayed in UK until July 19

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) LONDON, June 14 (KUNA) -- The British premier said Monday that the final phase of easing the lockdown in the kingdom will be delayed to July 19th."The final stage of easing lockdown restrictions in England is to be delayed until 19 July," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a press conference.The move means most remaining curbs on social contact will continue beyond 21 June, when they had been due to be lifted.The limit on wedding guest numbers will be removed but venues will still have to adhere to other rules.Johnson said there would be a review after two weeks and he was "confident" the delay would not need to be longer than four weeks."We will monitor the position every day and if, after two weeks, we have concluded that the risk has diminished then we reserve the possibility of proceeding to step four, and a full opening, sooner," he told a Downing Street news conference.Scientists advising the government had warned of a "significant resurgence" in people needing hospital treatment for Covid-19 if stage four of easing the lockdown went ahead on 21 June.It comes amid rising cases, driven by the more transmissible Delta variant, which was first identified in India. (end) kd.mb MENAFN14062021000071011013ID1102275587