PRIME Minister, Boris Johnson, has delayed lifting of the final stages of lockdown restrictions until July 19 amid rising COVID numbers.

During a media conference earlier this evening, Mr Johnson said rising coronavirus numbers in England were an early warning sign for the rest of the UK —and that the delay would allow millions more to be vaccinated, while monitoring the data on the new Delta (Indian) variant.

Mr Johnson also confirmed 23 and 24-year-olds will be invited to get their vaccination from tomorrow, June 15, as the Government attempts to bring forward its plans to give every adult in the UK their first dose by July 19.

Second doses for the over 40s will also be brought forward.

The move will mean pubs remain restricted to table service for groups of six, theatres and indoor venues restricted to 50% capacity, nightclubs remain closed and the guidance to work from home stays in place.

However, under the new guidance, weddings and wakes will be able to go ahead with more than 30 guests as long as social distancing measures were in place.

Some pilot events such as Euro 2020 and some theatrical performances will also still go ahead.

The PM said: "The last three steps have inevitably been accompanied by more infection and more hospitalisation because, we must be clear that we cannot simply eliminate COVID.

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"We must learn to live with it and with, every day that goes by, we're better protected by the vaccines, and we're better able to live with the disease."

He said there were millions of younger adults who had not been vaccinated and "sadly, a proportion of the elderly and vulnerable may still succumb – even if they have had two jabs."

He said the Delta variant had spread faster than the third wave that was predicted in the February roadmap, with cases growing at about 64% a week, and that there was a possibility the virus could outrun the vaccines and thousands more deaths would ensue.

"Even if the link between infection and hospitalisation has been weakened it hasn't been severed," he added.

However, he said: "As things stand, and on the evidence that I can see right now, I'm confident that we will not need more than four weeks, and we won't need to go beyond July 19.

"It's unmistakably clear the vaccines are working, and the sheer scale of the vaccine rollout has made opposition incomparably better than in previous waves."

Businesses and others sectors, including theatre and live music venues, have already reacted to the set-back, expressing disappointment and anger at the move, which will leave them with even less time trading.

Others have raised concerns over the mental health of the nation.

Meanwhile, the latest figures for Ealing show that there have been 209 new COVID cases in the borough for the week of May 31 to June 6, compared to 164 the week before.