‘Britons will still have to wear facemasks indoor’

People queue up with their oxygen tanks outside an oxygen refill station in Pazundaung township in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. Pic/AP/PTI

The government will issue guidance stating that people will still be "expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed places" even after all legal lockdown restrictions are lifted from July 19, UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Sunday.

The senior Cabinet minister also expressed confidence that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to confirm the July 19 timeline for the last stage of his lockdown easing roadmap on Monday despite a surge in infections, as hospitalisations remain low amid the mass vaccination drive.

"I think it is important that we remain cautious and careful and the guidelines that we will set out tomorrow will demonstrate that, including guidelines that people are expected to wear masks in indoor, enclosed spaces," Zahawi told 'Sky News'. "We're moving from ‘you must' to ‘you are expected' to wear a mask in indoor spaces," he told the BBC.

It comes after UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid told ‘The Sunday Telegraph' that anyone who would not wear a mask in an enclosed space was "just being irresponsible".

"Given Sajid Javid now considers it irresponsible to not wear masks then it would be equally irresponsible for his government to carry on with the plan to lift mask requirements while infections are heading to 100,000 a day," said Opposition Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth.

A final decision on England's path out of restrictions is expected to be taken on Monday and Boris Johnson is suffering a backlash over his plans to ditch all the rules on wearing face masks. Doctors, regional mayors, trade unions and health charities are among those who have expressed fears over the relaxed measures amid continuing rise in infections. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also warned that lifting all restrictions in one go would be "reckless".

Israel to get Pfizer jabs in August

Israel's prime minister has said the country has struck a deal with Pfizer to receive a fresh batch of Coronavirus vaccines in August to help with its drive to vaccinate teenagers. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting that the agreement to advance delivery of new vaccines to August 1 to "ensure from this moment a continuous supply of vaccines in the state of Israel." Bennett said that the country had vaccinated over 200,000 people in recent weeks.

Myanmar faces oxygen shortage

Myanmar is facing a rapid rise in Coronavirus patients and a shortage of oxygen supplies. The situation comes as the country is consumed by a bitter and violent political struggle since the military seized power in February after ousting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar had weathered last year's surge by severely restricting travel and securing vaccines from India and China.

4,58,355
No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours

18,66,07,396
Total no. of cases worldwide

40,27,601
Total no. of deaths worldwide

Source: WHO/Johns Hopkins

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