Failing the test: why England’s lockdown is not being lifted

Analysis by Public Health England suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective against hospitalisation after two doses, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective after a second jab.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Phil Noble/PA)

The spread of the Delta variant of coronavirus has meant at least one of the tests set by the UK government to lift England’s restrictions has not been met and restrictions cannot be lifted on June 21.

But what are the tests and where has it gone wrong?