After 16 long months, the British government lifted nearly all of its pandemic restrictions across England on Monday including its guidance to work from home. But as the so-called Freedom Day arrived, the nation is reporting nearly 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day in a population that is about two-thirds fully vaccinated. And so, most employers are keeping a return to the office as voluntary, requiring mask-wearing away from desks and limiting their office capacity to prevent crowding. For example, the Bank of England is asking staff to return only once a week starting in September. But there was some loosening of policies on Monday inside the central bank — restrictions on the use of elevators were eased and spaces between desks will be removed.

Source: International New York Times July 19, 2021 13:18 UTC