Boris Johnson has said that some “extra precautions” may need to remain in place even after England’s lockdown ends.
The prime minister currently plans to lift Covid restrictions on July 19, having described it as the “terminus date” for rules.
But speaking to reporters during a visit to a Nissan plant in Sunderland on Thursday, Johnson was asked if the wearing of masks and social distancing would be scrapped on that date.
“I know how impatient people are to get back to total normality, as indeed am I,” he said.
“I will be setting in the course of the next few days what step four will look like exactly.
“But I think I’ve said it before, we’ll be wanting to go back to a world that is as close to the status quo, ante-Covid, as possible. Try to get back to life as close to it was before Covid.
“But there may be some things we have to do, extra precautions that we have to take, but I’ll be setting them out.”
Johnson also said “double jabs will be a liberator” when asked about reports that fully vaccinated people may be able to travel quarantine-free from amber list countries by July 26.
“I want travel to be possible but I’ve got to stress that this year will not be like every other year because of the difficulties with Covid. People shouldn’t expect it will be completely hassle free,” he said.
