Boris Johnson has suggested that there will be no early release from COVID restrictions with 19 July likely to remain the date for Freedom Day.

The prime minister’s comments came following talks with new Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

During a campaign visit to Johnstone’s Paints Limited in Batley, Mr Johnson said: “I had a good conversation yesterday, a long meeting with Sajid Javid, the new health secretary.

“Although there are some encouraging signs and the number of deaths remains low and the number of hospitalisations remains low, though both are going up a bit, we are seeing an increase in cases.

“So we think it’s sensible to stick to our plan to have a cautious but irreversible approach, use the next three weeks or so really to complete as much as we can of that vaccine rollout – another five million jabs we can get into people’s arms by July 19.

“And then with every day that goes by it’s clearer to me and all our scientific advisers that we’re very likely to be in a position on July 19 to say that really is the terminus and we can go back to life as it was before COVID as far as possible.”

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