UK Health Secretary vows ‘one day soon freedom will return’ despite coronavirus case rise

Matt Hancock said a decision on moving to Step 4 of the road map would be delayed as long as possible, with a final announcement to be made next Monday

People enjoying the warm weather on the South Bank in central London, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

It is too early to say whether England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions will be lifted on June 21, Matt Hancock told UK MPs as case rates rose in more areas of the UK than at any point since early January.

The UK's Health Secretary said he was confident that “one day soon freedom will return”, with the latest data suggesting vaccines were protecting people against the Delta variant first identified in India.