Boris Johnson has said he is optimistic about the future of the UK ahead of his announcement in the House of Commons today over the lifting of lockdown restrictions. But the Prime Minister warned Brits need to remain cautious as some measures are eased, with the Government insisting the “stay at home” message remains in place.
The long-awaited plans on how the lockdown will be lifted are due to be announced by the Prime Minister today.
Mr Johnson will outline the major plan in a speech in the House of Commons at 3.30pm this afternoon before hosting a Downing Street press conference at 7pm tonight.
The so-called roadmap will be a fresh glimmer of hope for many of us, with the current lockdown being blamed for having a detrimental impact on people’s mental health.
However the PM is expected to say that there will be four tests that must be met before rules can be eased.
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Speaking on Monday, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “I think because the way this new variant actually took hold, which has become the dominant variant, the Kent variant, in the United Kingdom, infection rates around the country pretty much rose to similar, very high, unsustainable levels.
“So the view is very much that this is about a gradual reopening of the whole of England, not regional.”
But Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told Times Radio on Sunday: “I think they are going to have to keep the possibility of having much more targeted interventions in certain areas.”
Sage member Professor John Edmunds told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We’re all at risk and we can all spread the virus, and so, until we’ve all been vaccinated – I include children here – then there is going to be a significant risk of a resurgence.”
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Following the House of Commons speech, Mr Johnson will then host a briefing from Downing Street this evening.
The press conference will kick off at the later time of 7pm – having recently been held at 5pm each week.
Again, BBC News and Sky News will be broadcasting the statement live.
Express.co.uk will also be bringing you the latest updates.
