The British Medical Association has condemned UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "irresponsible" decision to press ahead with lockdown lifting in England despite Covid-19 infections continuing to surge.
The BMA warned of "potentially devastating consequences" after the Prime Minister confirmed on Monday that most mandatory restrictions will end next week.
At a Downing Street news conference, Mr Johnson acknowledged the pandemic "is not over" and appealed to people to proceed with caution.
At the same time, he said postponing the easing of restrictions into the autumn would risk reopening at a time when schools are back from their summer holidays and people are spending more time indoors as the weather turns cold.