On Monday 19 July 2021, all restrictions relating to COVID-19 are due to be lifted across London and the country. How are City Hall and local authorities preparing for the end of restrictions?

As we approach 19 July [2021], I continue to meet regularly with Public Health England and the NHS to discuss the ongoing situation, variants of concern, the vaccination programme, how health systems are being impacted by the pandemic and preparation for the further easing of national restrictions. My Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, Dr Fiona Twycross, co-chairs the Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), which meets twice weekly to assess both current and future impacts of COVID-19. A joint risk register enables individual agencies to flag system-wide risks that can be assessed and mitigated as appropriate through the collective working of the SCG. I established a London roadmap with business leaders on the London COVID Business Forum, working to ensure we support the safe and full reopening of London’s economy.

As we take the important next steps to reopening, I will also ensure that Londoners continue to receive information on the actions they can take to keep themselves, their families and our communities safe. As I said earlier, I was not prepared to stand by and put Londoners and our city’s recovery at risk and so, after careful consideration, I decided to ask TfL to retain the requirement for passengers to wear face coverings on all TfL services when the national regulations change from 19 July. The Majority of Londoners support this, trade unions have called for it to protect staff, and other European countries have also made it mandatory.

The vaccines are making a huge difference, protecting people against serious illness and hospitalisation, but the number of COVID cases continues to rise in London and across the country. The best way to reduce case numbers and make reopening a success is for every Londoner to take the vaccine as soon as possible.

Thank you for that. Mr Mayor, we all want restrictions lifted, we all want the economy to open up, and we all want life to go back to normal, but we have been here too many times. We need to take mitigation measures for as long as the virus is with us, and the virus is still with us.

The Government’s constant mixed messaging over the use of facemasks has been a problem. I know that you have said that Londoners must wear masks on TfL. Let me read you a paragraph from a letter I received from the British Medical Association (BMA), which is addressed to you and I will send a copy. It says,

“We thank you for your announcement today on the mandatory use of facemasks across the TfL land network. We are grateful that you have taken the concerns of doctors and BMA members such as ourselves on board in your decision. As you know, facemasks are a measure that will have minimal impact on people’s daily lives but will play a fundamental part in our fight against COVID-19 and the alarming rate of its current transmission. We wholeheartedly welcome your decision.”

Mr Mayor, has the Government’s policy on mixed messaging made life difficult for you in protecting Londoners?

When you look at any crisis, any pandemic in particular, clear, concise messaging is important. What helps the virus spread is mixed messaging and lack of clarity. That is one of the reasons I was lobbying the Government for a national message around public transport with a continuation of the national regulations, but the Government has chosen not to do so. The Government, to give it credit, did give me the autonomy to do what I wanted in TfL. It could have tried to veto what we did in TfL; it did not, and I am grateful for it not doing so.

Our approach is the right one in relation to public transport in London. There are two key things. One is public safety. for the reasons you and the BMA have said, and the other is public reassurance. Both are equally important as we seek to reopen our city further on 19 July.

Of course, Mr Mayor, the Government has dillydallied and there is a reliance upon public behaviour. Sir Isaac Newton said, “I can predict the movement of celestial bodies but I cannot predict human behaviour”. The answer to this is that we need to have clear messaging for the public and also to remind them that the pandemic is with us here and that good public health measures of wearing a mask, keeping a social distance and cleaning your hands is still important.

How will you be making sure that this message does reach Londoners and make sure that public health does remain at the forefront of this fight?

One of the things, I am afraid, in living in a democracy and a free society is those whose views we disagree with: the anti-vaxxers, the COVID deniers. You have to park the views there. We are never going to persuade them. But there are a lot of people in the middle who are confused by the mixed messaging.

All I say to them, in a courteous and respectful way, is look at the evidence from the Government’s own Scientific Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE). Look at the evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO). Look at the evidence from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States of America (USA). There is plenty of evidence out there that facemasks do reduce transmission, particularly indoors where you cannot keep your social distance. Not only is it one of the most unselfish things you can do because it stops you passing the virus on - as you will be aware, one out of three people with the virus do not show symptoms - but new research from the CDC shows it can also help you as the wearer of a facemask. Why not err on the side of caution, particularly we know that over the course of the last week 19 Londoners lost their lives because of COVID.

Yes, we have weakened the link because of the vaccine in relation to serious illnesses, hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths, but we have not broken the link. That is why it is so important, as you said, to be cautious. The virus is still with us. That is why getting the jab, wearing a facemask, washing your hands regularly and thoroughly and keeping your distance where you can indoors are really important.

Good. Thank you, Mr Mayor.