Boris Johnson to announce end of COVID restrictions in England

euronews.com:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on Monday unveiling his "Living with COVID" strategy, despite criticism and warnings over the expected end of the latest restrictions.

Johnson said in a statement ahead of an address to parliament that the end of restrictions in England "marks a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in the history of our country as we begin to learn to live with COVID."

“The pandemic is not over but thanks to the incredible deployment of the vaccine, we are taking one more step towards a return to normalcy to finally give people back their freedoms, while continuing to protect ourselves and others," he added.

Among the measures to be lifted are the face-mask requirement for indoor settings as well as self-isolation rules for positive cases. Tests will no longer be free.

The announcements were brought forward by a month and come as Johnson continues to weather the fallout of the "Partygate" scandal and after Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen had tested positive and presented mild symptoms.

Some experts have already criticised the easing.

"The government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat is gone entirely," Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which brings together leaders of the public health system, said recently.

Stephen Reicher, Professor of Social Psychology at St Andrews University, described it as "freedom for the few" on Twitter, arguing many people will not have the means to buy tests and self-isolate if positive.

"This week, a 95-year-old woman catches COVID. Having been tested early she can be prescribed anti-virals which need to be taken within 3-5 days of infections to be effective," he also wrote, referring to the queen.

"Next week,