In mid-July 2021, the United Kingdom lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions, including most mask mandates, limits on social gatherings, and working from home. In large part, the decision was based on the region’s high rate of vaccination. By the first week of July, 86% of UK adults had received at least one vaccine dose, and 64% of UK adults (33.7 million adults) had received two doses. 

This is positive news. Data shows that vaccines save lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, it does not mean that the pandemic has ended in the UK. Epidemiologists are still tracking cases and deaths in the region. 

New confirmed cases are trending upward, from 20,607 confirmed cases on July 1, 2021 (just before most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted) to 36,731 confirmed cases on the day of September 11, 2021 (about two months after most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted), according to Johns Hopkins University database. To be sure, cases were on the rise before restrictions were lifted and have continued to persist.

The number of new COVID-19 cases is increasing in the UK likely due to the Delta variant and possibly because of the lifting of these measures. The number of hospital admissions has increased since restrictions were lifted in July and currently remains relatively level. Deaths have also increased since the lifting of restrictions. According to the Office of National Statistics in the UK, there were about 130 weekly deaths at the beginning of July, and that number jumped 491.5% to 769 weekly deaths by late August.

The World Health Organization still urges extreme caution when lifting public health measures, and has six steps that a country must meet in order to lift restrictions safely: 

1. Transmission of the coronavirus is under control.
2. The health system is able to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact.
3. The risk of outbreak hotspots is minimized in vulnerable settings like health facilities.
4. Workplaces, schools and other essential places have preventative measures in place. 
5. Measures are in place to manage the risk of importing new cases
6. Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new norms.

Some of the restrictions lifted in the United Kingdom this summer included revoking all social distancing guidance, except in specific settings such as ports of entry and medical settings. Mask mandates and working from home were also lifted, as well as restrictions on the number of people a person can meet, and the number of people who can attend live events, like weddings and funerals, and communal worship and singing.

On top of reaching vaccination thresholds, health officials also cited the relative benefit of lifting restrictions during summertime, when many people were socializing outdoors in settings with better ventilation, which can help curb the spread of the virus.