On a visit to the North East today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he ‘very much hopes’ to be able to open schools on the 8th March when he sets out plans for easing lockdown restrictions in England later this month.
Visiting the new Novavax vaccine factory in Teeside he said reopening the schools was “a priority, then shops and then pubs.”
Asked if the public could be drinking in pub gardens in April as many newspapers have today suggested he said: “if you don’t mind I am going to ask you to wait a little longer” for the answer. “Give us more time to look at the data” he continued.
“We do not want to be forced into a retreat or a reverse ferret.”
After meeting some of the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies plant in Billingham’s 850-strong workforce, he said: “If approved, Novavax will further strengthen our already record breaking vaccine rollout.
“The work of the team here to get this vaccine ready showcases some of the very best of British science and manufacturing.
“I’m hugely proud of the efforts here at Fujifilm, as we all come together to beat this pandemic.
“I urge you all to keep up this vital work, helping to get those vaccines into arms and protecting our most vulnerable.”
Boris Johnson is still expected to reveal the lockdown road map on February 22nd.
