LONDON: British finance minister Rishi Sunak said he understood the frustration felt by some businesses and members of the public about the continued need for 10 days of self-isolation if they are in contact with someone infected with COVID.

Britain's government will lift capacity restrictions on pubs, restaurants and other public events on July 19, despite a surge in the number of COVID infections. Businesses fear many staff and customers will need to self-isolate.

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"I appreciate people's frustration with this. It's part of what I and the Prime Minister call a balanced approach. We want to make sure we see an appropriate degree of caution," Sunak told Sky News.

"These are big changes that mean we will have a huge degree of freedom back. I appreciate people's frustration but I would also urge them to look at the positives as well," he added.