Hello, I'm Nula McGovern on the BBC World Service, and this is BBC OS, conversations on coronavirus,

England unlocking.

The pandemic for people in England has been a particularly punishing experience,

but it's about to lift most of its remaining restrictions.

We're going to spend today hearing some of the conversations that are taking place in the country,

including with those who've been seriously ill from COVID-19.

I'm quite concerned. I don't want to be a scaremonger but you know on the

other hand you know you've got this peer pressure of what you're wearing a mask for?

Face coverings are one of the things that will no longer be required by law. They remain divisive.

Mass chaos was a headline in one of the country's papers in recent days.

Among the other remaining COVID restrictions ending on the 19th of July are social distancing and limits on the number of people that can meet.

England is doing this at a time when daily infection rates are rising, driven by the more transmissible delta variant.

They're at levels not seen since January.

The government's plan and hope

is that this new so-called natural wave will be allowed to play itself out without lockdown restrictions.

And it points to the significant progress on vaccinations, which means fewer hospitalizations

and debts. But no other country has attempted to do what

England is doing and it's fair to say that the world is watching. Many experts

say it's a gamble.

And many frontline medical staff who've had to work so tirelessly for well over a year say

it's a gamble not worth taking at this point.

We brought together two doctors who work for the country's National Health

...