Fonte Theconversation.com
James Gaughan, University of York and Peter Sivey, University of York
On July 19 2021, nearly all legal restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 were removed in England. A requirement to isolate at the request of NHS Track and Trace remains for people exposed to an infected person and who aren’t double vaccinated, but other control measures such as the closure of nightclubs and limits on the size of indoor social gatherings have been lifted.
This move marked the end of the “roadmap” for gradually easing restrictions, which had been announced back in February. A major point stressed by politicians was that progress towards opening up again would be “irreversible”.
Yet following the relaxation of restrictions in the summer of 2020, control measures were ultimately reintroduced the following winter with national lockdowns in November 2020 and January 2021. So a natural question now is, will 2021 be any different?