The Prime Minister will reveal his long-awaited roadmap to the nation this evening, outlining how the country will be lifted out of the current covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
He is expected to announce that all pupils in all years will return back to the classroom from March 8th, with outdoor extracurricular activities allowed to restart as well.
March 8th will also see the return of socialising in parks and public spaces with one other person from another household when the rules are relaxed to allow people to sit down for a drink or picnic.
March 29th, the start of the Easter school holidays, will see a further easing of restrictions with larger groups allowed to gather in parks and gardens as the “rule of six” returns
Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts and organised team sports for adult will also be able to return from Monday March 29th.
Speaking ahead of today’s speech, Boris Johnson said: “I’ll be setting out a road map to bring us out of lockdown cautiously.
“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 wellbeing, and we will also be prioritising ways for people to reunite with loved ones safely.
“Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step, and 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.”
The four tests are:
- The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
- Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
- Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
- Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new ‘variants of concern’
Restrictions will only be lifted if all tests are met at each stage.
