‘Freedom Day’ has been delayed by 4 weeks, PM confirms

The roadmap has hit a stumbling block

Prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed this evening that England's 'Freedom Day' has been delayed for four weeks due to the ongoing spread of the Delta variant. Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening, the prime minister confirmed the delay to end of lockdown, which had previously been set to happen on June 21. England will now look to reopen society fully on July 19. During the press conference, the PM mentioned the date July 29, though this has now been confirmed as an error. The spread of the Delta variant has caused a rise in cases over recent weeks. It is thought to be around 60 per cent more infectious than the Alpha variant that was discovered in Kent at the end of last year and became the dominant strain of the virus in the country. It is now thought that the Delta variant accounts for 90 per cent of infections in the UK now, and the seven-day average for cases in the UK is up 49 per cent compared with the seven days prior.