UK to Fully Lift Lockdown Orders from 19th Despite 50,000 Daily COVID-19 Cases

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The daily new COVID-19 cases in the UK exceeded 50,000 for the first time in six months as of the 16th (local time).

The UK Department of Health announced 51,870 new cases on that day. This is the first time since January 11 (57,097 cases) that new daily cases have surpassed 50,000. The cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 5,332,371.

The number of deaths (within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis) increased by 49 on that day, bringing the total to 128,642. The total number of people who have died from COVID-19 is 152,856.

The UK government plans to lift all quarantine regulations on the 19th amid a resurgence driven by the highly transmissible Delta (India-origin) variant. The indoor mask mandate and restrictions on the size of private gatherings will be removed, and except for certain places such as hospitals and airports, the 1-meter social distancing rule will also be eliminated.

There are forecasts within the UK government that the number of confirmed cases will surge rapidly after the lifting of quarantine regulations.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said, "Around the 19th, daily new cases could be around 50,000, and if we lift quarantine regulations and summer comes, it could reach the 100,000 range."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.