GAZETTE readers have urged the Prime Minister to be cautious when deciding whether to lift all coronavirus restrictions on June 21, nicknamed Freedom Day.

About 1,300 readers responded to our poll asking if they felt the country should enjoy unfettered freedoms in two weeks.

But 58 per cent of Gazette readers declared they would like to see the final stage of unlocking postponed among fears it could triggera spike in cases and another lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap would see England free from restrictions on June 21 if all the criteria are met.

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However, the new Delta variant has seen the number of Covid infections almost double in four weeks to 5,341 lab-confirmed cases in the UK on Sunday. A further four deaths were reported.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ministers were “absolutely open” to delaying the unlocking in England if the new variant worsens the country’s coronavirus recovery prospects.

One Gazette reader, Yoqi, said it’s time to learn to live with the virus and accept it won’t be going away.

They said: “The jabs were designed to prevent serious illness, not infection and spread; this virus is not being eradicated so we have to live with it.

“If deaths and hospitalisations are not increasing then we are ready for the next step. Everyone has played their part and we should be proud of ourselves for getting to this point.

“Let’s stop obsessing about infection rates and start celebrating good health and long life.”

However, LirealSab disagreed, saying: “I would rather have things stay as they are than rush to have some imagined freedoms but be back in another lockdown in the winter.

“We’ve made so many sacrifices in the past year, it’s idiocy to rush the ending and get it wrong.”

Two readers were quick to point the finger at the Government’s slow response to closing the nation’s borders.

“Just lock down. Those leaving and returning to this country are the problem,” Hoppyl said.

“Like New Zealand, we are an island so it is only those who have travelled or returned here that have caused the problem.”

Kremnuk added: “I’ve had both vaccinations, I’m not going to allow our Prime Minister to keep us in lockdown because he hasn’t closed the borders.”

And Navid Harrid despaired that everyone “seems to be back to normal anyway.”

Mr Hancock refused to rule out keeping face masks and home working beyond June 21, when the Government had hoped to remove all legal limits on social contact.

Data shows patients being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 were now younger, less sick and go home sooner.

The vaccination programme is still rolling out at pace. More than 40 million people have now been vaccinated in the UK with 27 million having received both doses.

Adults under the age of 30 will be invited to book their coronavirus vaccine appointment from this week.

Figures showed 921 people hospitalised with the virus in the UK as of May 31 – a week prior the number of patients was 955.

The Government has set Monday as the D-Day for its decision on whether or not it will go ahead with the lifting of restrictions.