Ministers are preparing to axe virtually all virtually all coronavirus curbs on July 19 as the country moves towards herd immunity despite rising infection numbers.
Social distancing, face masks and work-from-home guidance are all expected to be ditched as England makes a dramatic push back towards normality on so-called 'Freedom Day'.
Boris Johnson is getting ready to give the green light for the sweeping unlocking after internal government assessments warned that keeping even limited restrictions for longer would spell disaster for the hospitality industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
However, it is understood there is almost no chance the date will be brought forward to July 5 despite immense pressure from Tory MPs.
The plan could put England on a significantly different course from Scotland, after Nicola Sturgeon yesterday delayed the latest phase of its loosening for another three weeks and suggested that mask-wearing is likely to continue into the autumn.
Prof Neil Ferguson - known as Professor Lockdown - gave an optimistic view of the emerging data this morning, saying while cases were rising hospitalisations and deaths were not seeing significant increases. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it appears two doses of vaccine are giving a 'high level' of protection against severe disease.
Mr Johnson sensationally delayed Freedom Day from June 21 amid concerns about cases of the Indian - or Delta - variant in the UK.
The PM insisted that the extra four weeks was needed to buy time to get more people double-jabbed before the final set of restrictions are lifted.
A senior Government source told the Times that ministers 'get as close to normal as possible' on July 19, with an emphasis on 'personal responsibility' rather than legal restrictions.
The UK recorded another 11,625 coronavirus cases yesterday – the most since mid-February.
Boris Johnson (pictured running this morning) is getting ready to give the green light for the sweeping unlocking on July 19 after internal government assessments warned that keeping even limited restrictions for longer would spell disaster for the hospitality industry and hundreds of thousands of jobs
England could be free of all Covid restrictions by July 19, as the country moving towards herd immunity - despite rising infection numbers
The PC Agency travel consultancy has suggested that 14 countries currently on Britain's amber list could be moved to green
Antibody positive levels are highest among older age groups who have had two doses but rising fast in younger adults, too. In those who were first to get vaccinated the rate of immunity has flattened off at over 99 per cent, showing almost everyone has at least some protection against the virus
HAS BRITAIN'S THIRD WAVE ALREADY PEAKED? Britain is recording nearly 10,000 daily infections now compared to 2,000 in late April when the 'Delta' variant was first seeded in the country. But the speed at which cases are increasing every week has slowed to nearly 30 per cent, down from 65 per cent earlier this month, suggesting the outbreak had peaked by the first week of June