How Boris Johnson plans to ease England out of lockdown including pubs reopening and foreign holidays
22 February 2021, 07:54 | Updated: 22 February 2021, 08:10
The Prime Minister is set to announce his coronavirus lockdown easing roadmap for England today.
Boris Johnson is set to unveil his lockdown exit roadmap for England today which will slowly ease the current restrictions.
In a press conference, the Prime Minister will reveal the national stay-at-home order will be scrapped as early as March, with the Rule of Six returning, as well as outdoor sports.
According to The Sun, his blueprint is made up of four steps, while four key tests have to be met at each stage.
These tests are made up of:
- That the vaccine deployment programme continues
- Jabs are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths
- That infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations
- The risk is not changed by new variants
If the data is not met on these criteria, the PM can reverse lockdown easing in a bid to keep the country safe.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, the first phase is set to see children return to school on March 8 after classrooms were closed back in January.
On March 29, according to reports the Rule of Six will return, with people allowed to meet their friends and family from different households in parks and private gardens.
The roadmap then sees non-essential shops and the beauty sector - including hairdressers and salons - reopen their doors by Mid-April.
Lateral flow tests could be used to reopen nightclubs and theatres
Restaurants and pubs will also be able to serve customers outdoors by this time, while gyms will also welcome back customers.
As we head into May and June, the remaining restrictions will be eased to allow mixing inside.
There are hopes life could return to some kind of normality by July if every adult in England has received their first does of the Covid jab.
It is unlikely the government will set a date for the relaxation of rules on international travel, but government sources have said this looks 'more hopeful' for summer.
Over the weekend, Mr Johnson said: “Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step.
"We will be cautious about this approach so that we do not undo the progress we have achieved so far and the sacrifices each and every one of you has made to keep yourself and others safe.
“We have therefore set four key tests which must be met before we can move through each step of the plan. I’ll be setting out a roadmap to bring us out of lockdown cautiously.”
He added: “Our priority has always been getting children back into school, which we know is crucial for their education as well as their mental and physical well-being.
"And we will also be prioritising ways for people to reunite with loved ones safely.”
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