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Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make the announcements this afternoon in the House of Commons and later at a press conference from Downing Street.
The Prime Minister's office confirmed over the weekend that the last major legal restriction that remains in place, namely the isolation requirement for those diagnosed positive for coronavirus, will still be lifted.
It is believed that this will happen next Thursday and that the legal obligation will be replaced by a recommendation to avoid congregating with others if someone is diagnosed positive for coronavirus.
In a statement last night, Mr Johnson said the removal of all legal restrictions would represent "a moment of pride" for the country after one of the most difficult periods in the UK's history.
He noted that this moment was made possible because of the efforts of the NHS public health system, which developed the vaccination programme with "impressive" speed, scientists and experts, and citizens.
"The pandemic is not over, but thanks to the incredible development of vaccines we are now one step closer to a return to normality and to finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others," the British Prime Minister added.
According to Downing Street, Boris Johnson wants the country to move from a phase of "government intervention" to one of "personal responsibility".
However, scientific advisers and NHS officials warn that the government's decision is premature, as despite improving epidemiological indicators no one knows how the pandemic may unfold.
The government's move comes as a day after the announcement that Queen Elizabeth, almost 96, tested positive for coronavirus
It should be noted that the legal restrictions normally expire at the end of March, but Mr Johnson has said he wants to speed up their removal. Political commentators believe the move is also linked to the Prime Minister's attempt to calm opposition in the Conservative Party over so-called 'partygate'.
In addition to the isolation requirement for virus carriers (for at least five days for those fully vaccinated and at least ten days for those unvaccinated), the remaining legal restrictions also include the use of masks in health facilities and the right of businesses to require their customers to wear masks.
It remains unknown whether the government will decide to abolish the unlimited free antigen screening tests for all citizens still in force in the UK. Most estimates converge that the free tests will be phased out and retained only for the most vulnerable and elderly.
Source: CNA
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