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Ministers faced renewed calls yesterday to end lockdown curbs two weeks early after yet more 'encouraging' Covid data.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said hospitalisation and death rates remain low – meaning England is 'on track' to lift restrictions on July 19.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak agreed, saying it was now his 'hope and expectation' that this date would mark the end of coronavirus curbs.
But former Cabinet minister Liam Fox pressed the Government to go faster. He said that given the latest data, the new target for scrapping Covid restrictions should be July 5 – the 'review point' set by Boris Johnson when he delayed the initial unlocking from this past Monday.
Matt Hancock said hospitalisation and death rates remain low – meaning England is 'on track' to lift restrictions on July 19
Dr Fox said there was mounting evidence that the successful vaccine rollout has broken the link between Covid cases and deaths. 'All along we have been told it is about data, not dates,' he said.
'We need to look at that data, and if we can relax earlier – and get some of those industries like weddings and travel moving earlier – then we should.'
He called on ministers to move 'as soon as possible', adding: 'A fixation with dates is not sensible.'
Official UK figures yesterday showed daily Covid cases have risen to 11,625 – up almost a third in a week, and the highest figure since
