Face masks and social distancing ‘to be made voluntary after July 19th’

Face masks and other social distancing measures will no longer be compulsory after July 19th, new reports are claiming today.

The wearing of face coverings in a range of public settings, including in shops and on public transport, has been required since the start of the Covid pandemic last year.

But now, the end could very well be in sight – despite a number of delays over the last few months.

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New reports claim that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pushing for the lifting of mask laws in almost all settings to help get life ‘as near to normal as possible.’

As a part of a new ‘freedom plan’ that is expected to be published by Johnson in the coming days, ministers have scrapped the idea of ‘Covid passports’ for mass events such as festivals. Last night, it also emerged that nightclubs will be allowed to reopen on July 19th without the need to test customers at the door.

Key social distancing measures, including the one-metre rule, the rule of six and the thirty person limit on the size of outdoor gatherings, are also set to become voluntary.

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Asked whether the requirement to wear a mask in shops and offices would go on the revised ‘freedom day’, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We aim to remove as many restrictions as is safe to do so.”

This comes after a spike in Covid cases across the country, something which chief medical officer Chris Witty says has no negative affect upon the NHS.

A source said Professor Whitty had suggested that ‘we should get as much open this summer as possible before winter, which will be much more difficult.’