Good Morning Britain Host Debate On 'Personal Responsibility' Of Wearing A Mask As England Marks 'Freedom Day'

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said lifting Covid restrictions was "reckless" on Good Morning Britain on Monday.

Ashworth spoke to presenters Susanna Reid and Ben Shepherd on 'freedom day' and addressed the "nervousness" some Brits feel now that wearing masks is no longer a legal requirement in public spaces -despite the increasing number of Delta variant cases.

He said: “Other countries that have done this like The Netherlands, they stopped all their restrictions on 26th June and then the infection rate went up on an almost vertical axis and then they had to go backwards and close things down.”

Ashworth noted that the government have to support the economy but he believes “today is reckless” and the government “should have put these precautions in place,” referencing other countries like Israel lifting restrictions before facing another lockdown due to a sharp rise in Covid cases.

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He joined Good Morning Britain after prime minister Boris Johnson urged Brits to proceed with caution due to the rising number of cases however he reiterated that now is the best time to reduce restrictions before the winter cold and flu season.

In a video posted on Twitter on Sunday, Johnson said: "If we don't do it now we've got to ask ourselves, when will we ever do it?"

"But we've got to do it cautiously. We've got to remember that this virus is sadly still out there. Cases are rising, we can see the extreme contagiousness of the Delta variant."

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Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Ben Shepherd also spoke about the rule change regarding masks and the public’s “personal responsibility” to decide when and where they should wear a mask to protect themselves and others. 

Susanna said: “It’s fine saying that it’s about personal responsibility but actually other people are affected by your personal responsibility.”

The easing of restrictions in England means business such as nightclubs can reopen. There are no longer limits on social contact with the “rule of six” restriction coming to an end. The government are no longer instructing people to work from home. However some supermarkets have stated that they will continue to encourage customers to wear face coverings and masks will continue to be compulsory on the Transport for London network unless you are exempt for medical reasons. 

Topics: News, Coronavirus

Gregory Robinson

Gregory is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, he has worked for both print and online publications and is particularly interested in TV, (pop) music and lifestyle. He loves Madonna, teen dramas from the '90s and prefers tea over coffee.