| Britain's long-awaited Freedom Day finally arrived Monday, ending almost all legal measures regarding mask-wearing and meeting in public across the country. It's the final destination of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's road map out of lockdown, intended to herald the full reopening of an economy devastated by Covid.
The nation is on edge as it tries to revive economic activity while heading into a third wave of infection. Hopes are resting on the idea that the "wall of vaccinations" rolled out this year will help keep hospitalizations and deaths at a lower rate than in previous peaks.  Boris Johnson Photographer: Andy Rain/EPA Yet Britain remains in the pandemic's thrall, fighting more than 50,000 daily new infections as the highly contagious delta variant rips through the population. Thousands of workers "pinged" by the National Health Service's test-and-trace app are in isolation, causing chaos for shops, pubs and factories forced to temporarily close due to staff shortages. Workers are showing little appetite to return to offices amid the surging case numbers and summer holidays. And U.S. health officials told Americans to avoid travel to the U.K. if possible because of the Covid surge, raising their warning to the highest level.
Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are both in isolation after coming into contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has tested positive. That's made it even more difficult for the prime minister to defend his plan to reopen Britain during the "firebreak" of the summer school holidays. The public now faces a mishmash of confusing guidance. For example, while masks aren't mandatory, the government says it's "advisable" to wear them in some circumstances. While nightclubs have reopened for those with a negative test for now, proof of immunization will be required to enter beginning in September. The question remains whether the public will act responsibly amid surging cases and the attraction of summer holidays and barbecues—and whether it will continue listening to Johnson.—Deirdre Hipwell | 
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