Covid restrictions ‘more likely to end’ if 70% of adults jabbed by July

Current coronavirus restrictions are more likely to be lifted if 70% of adults are vaccinated by July 18, Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England has said.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday, June 20, Dr Hopkins said that 70% of adults should have the opportunity to get their first dose by July 19.

For restrictions to be eased, she said she would like to see “everyone over the age of 40” having “had the opportunity to get double-vaccinated,” with as many people as possible over 30 having had the opportunity to get both doses.

“We know that two doses of vaccination really protects against hospital admission, about 94% overall and 92% for AstraZeneca and 96% for Pfizer.

“Overall as many people getting two doses of vaccination would be really good,” she said.

She added: “We should be able to hit the 70% figure having two doses before July 19.”

Dr Hopkins said the UK is already beginning to see the impact of vaccination, telling the Andrew Marr show:

“We are definitely seeing some signals in some areas of cases slowing down, Bolton for example has definitely reversed, Blackburn and Darwen has stabilised.

“But there are other parts of the country, particularly in some parts of the north-east, some parts of London that are still rising quite fast.

“So I think this is not all doing the same thing all over the country, and we’re seeing rises and falls as people go out and get tested and I think we are seeing the impact of vaccination and that is good news.

“The extra time to vaccinate more people, get two doses of vaccination in as many people as possible will hopefully mean that what we’re seeing with this wave won’t look the same as the previous waves that we’ve seen in this country.”

Dr Hopkins also said that 10-day isolation period for fully vaccinated people who come into contact with a Covid case may be scrapped.