Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid made the announcement in the Commons.
Both vaccination doses can reduce symptomatic infection by almost 80%, he said.
He said: “The odds have shifted in our favour and we can look afresh at many of the measures we have had to put in place”.
‘From 16 August anyone who is a close contact of a positive case will no longer have to self-isolate if they’ve been fully vaccinated,
‘If someone gets their second dose just before or just after 16 August they’ll have to wait for two weeks to build up the maximum protection before they can enjoy these new freedoms.’
Mr Javid also said that the latest figures from Public Health England suggest that the vaccination rollout has saved 27,000 lives and prevented 7 million cases of the virus.
The lifting of England’s restrictions is expected on 19 July, but it will be confirmed on 12 July after a review
