Politics
Boris Johnson announcement: What did the Prime Minister say in lockdown roadmap, Monday, February 22?
WITH clear evidence that coronavirus infections across the UK are falling sharply, the PM set out his blueprint from lockdown.
Boris Johnson told the nation on Monday, February 22, about the reopening of schools, golf courses, pubs and more, thanks to the combined success of the jab rollout, and restrictions.
Boris Johnson spoke to the nation TODAY (Monday, February 22)[/caption]
What did Boris Johnson announce in his roadmap out of lockdown?
The Prime Minister spoke in the House of Commons at 3.30pm outlining a lockdown roadmap, before making a televised announcement to the nation at 7pm this evening.
Mr Johnson vowed today his map was a “one way road to freedom” and insisted there would be no turning back.
He hopes to get Britain booming and back to near normal by June, and give every adult a vaccine by the end of July.
Boris Johnson indicated the government aims to give the first dose of the vaccine to those in group 5 to 9 by April 15th.
All restrictions will be lifted at the same time across England – with no more tiers in sight.
But Boris Johnson insisted the UK’s Government decisions will be led by data and not dates and subjected to four tests.
Four tests to pass before easing restrictions
1. The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
2. Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
3. Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
4. Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.
His wide-ranging announcement covered the return of outdoor sport.
From March 29 the rule of six returns outdoors and outdoor sport will resume with golf and tennis courts back open
Schools will reopen from March 8 but kids will have to wear masks in classrooms at first.
Brits will also be able to socialise outside with a friend or relative from another household, with current regulations limiting meet-ups to exercise only.
This will be followed by an end to restrictions on close family interaction, meaning children will be able to hug their grandparents again.
Care home residents will also be able to hold hands with visitors within a few weeks, with full guidance set to be issued in the next fortnight.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan receives his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, administered by Dr Sue Clarke[/caption]
Non-essential retail can reopen from April 12.
The hospitality industry is not set to reopen fully until May 17 – yet pubs would be allowed to serve pints outside from April 12.
The “rule of six” limits and two-metre social distancing rules are also likely to stay throughout summer.
When can I meet family and friends outside?
Under Mr Johnson’s plan, two households will be allowed to socialise outdoors from Easter.
Although friends and families will be able to meet outdoors from March 29, they will not be able to enter each other’s homes until May 17.
Princess Anne thanks local volunteers and key workers in Windsor, England[/caption]
Mixing in parks and gardens were announced, allowing families to see each other for the first time since January.
Brits will be able to socialise outside with a friend or relative from another household, with current regulations limiting meet-ups to exercise only.
This will be followed by an end to restrictions on close family interaction, meaning children will be able to hug their grandparents again.
When can I meet family and friends indoors?
Indoor mixing in people’s homes, including overnight, will be allowed on May 17 once again with Rule of Six and a limit of two households.
Care home residents will also be able to hold hands with visitors within a few weeks, with full guidance set to be issued in the next fortnight.
Current restrictions allow you to meet with one other person while exercising locally outdoors – or indoors if you have formed a support bubble.
Plans for visits to care homes allowing hand-holding have been given a cautious welcome by organisations in the sector[/caption]
Will Boris Johnson axe the Tier system?
The PM revealed restrictions will be lifted at the same time across England – with no more tiers in sight.
He is scrapping the tiers and implementing a four-step plan to carefully staged normality instead.
Decisions will be dependent, however, on the continued fall in death and infection rates. That’s to lessen the likelihood of a fourth lockdown, should cases and fatalities spike again.
Many experts believe the unpopular 4 tier system did little to prevent the spread of the virus, especially the highly infectious Kent variant.
Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said the data on vaccine effectiveness and how quickly infection, deaths and hospital cases were declining across the country was looking promising.
Agreeing that the current lockdown should be lifted in stages, he added: “I am encouraged by the cautious approach being taken.
“An incremental approach which I think will be adopted, namely relax one thing and see what the impact is, relax again.
“And it still may well be that by the end of May, we’re in a very different country than we are today.”
Figures show a continued decline since Christmas in the number of new cases of coronavirus, although rates vary according to region.
When will schools reopen?
The PM wants schools in England to reopen on March 8 and for children across all age groups to get back into the classroom at the same time.
But kids will have to wear masks in classrooms at first
This comes despite a coalition of unions and professional bodies warned that reopening schools to all pupils in England at the same time would be “reckless” and could risk another spike in Covid infections.
There have been reports, too, that Prof Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, has been resisting Mr Johnson’s plans for a “big bang” reopening of schools.
The Guardian wrote that he was “very unhappy” with the idea of all ten million pupils and staff returning to schools.
But, Downing Street is extremely keen for all schools to reopen.
Some children in Wales and Scotland are due to return to school next week before a full reopening on March 15.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke about the reopening of schools from March 8[/caption]
When will gyms reopen?
Gyms and sports centres will reopen on May 17
It comes after a petition to “Open gyms first as we come out of lockdown & fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme” received over 179,000 signatures.
Bars, restaurants, gyms, schools, hair salons and all nonessential shops have been closed while grocery stores, pharmacies and takeout food venues are still open during the third lockdown.
Dwayne Johnson is a committed gym-goer[/caption]
When will pubs and restaurant reopen?
Pubs and restaurants will be able to offer outdoor seating with table service from April 12. Social distancing and the Rule of Six will stay in place.
From May 17, pubs and restaurants will be allowed to have indoor service again – with the rule of six or two households in place
Mr Johnson has said that pubs, restaurants and leisure venues will be among the last to reopen.
When can barbers and hairdressers reopen?
Anyone who needs a haircut may face a similar spell of time before they can get a professional trim.
April 12 will see shops reopen for customers again, with hairdressers and barbers back – along with nail salons.
Close-contact treatments like waxing and pedicures “where contact is inherent” could be delayed over longer.
When will shops reopen?
Early reports suggest retailers will be able to welcome back customers from March – a few weeks after schools reopen.
However, the rumoured reopening of shops and non-essential businesses still remains unconfirmed – but more will be revealed when the PM unveils his roadmap on February 22, 2021.
All non-essential stores, such as homeware, clothes and toys shops, are currently closed under the shut down restrictions.
Businesses that closed in England’s third lockdown
These businesses shut during the third lockdown:
- Non-essential retailers, such as clothing and homeware stores
- Vehicle showrooms, other than for rental
- Betting shops
- Tailors
- Tobacco and vape shops
- Electronic goods and mobile phone shops
- Auction houses, except for auctions of livestock and agricultural equipment
- Market stalls selling non-essential goods
- Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants except for takeaway and delivery
- Hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, except for specific circumstances
- Leisure centres and gyms
- Swimming pools, sports courts, fitness and dance studios, riding arenas at riding centres, climbing walls, and golf courses
- Theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries
- Casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys
- Skating rinks, go-karting venues, indoor play and soft play centres and areas
- Circuses, fairgrounds, funfairs, water parks and theme parks
- Zoos, safari parks, and aquariums
- Indoor attractions at venues such as botanical or other gardens, biomes or greenhouses
- Hairdressers, barbers and nail salons
- Tattoo and piercing shops
- Beauty and tanning salons
- Nightclubs and adult entertainment venues
- Community centres and halls apart from a few exceptions
Only essential retailers are allowed to stay open, including supermarkets, newsagents and bike stores.
They are allowed to stay open for click and collect services though, although John Lewis stopped offering the service to encourage Brits to stay at home.
When can cinemas and theatres reopen?
While nothing is confirmed, there are thoughts that Brits may have to wait until at least September before they can flock back to cinemas and theatres.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has hinted that venues will need to mass test visitors won’t be allowed to reopen until almost all the population is vaccinated.
When can nightclubs reopen?
Nightclub doors have been kept shut since the first Covid lockdown in March 2020.
It’s likely that they will be among the last places to reopen, after schools, non-essential retail and hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants.
This is due to the difficulty of making them Covid-secure due to limited social distancing and lower ability to keep areas clean constantly.
It is believed that clubs will be required to adhere to a strict set of rules before resuming operations.
It’s been said that dance floors are “a challenging area to operate” with social distancing remaining intact.
When can large events start to happen again?
The PM has earmarked fast lateral flow tests as a key way of getting larger venues open to the public again once lockdown is lifted.
Millions of tests, which return a result in half an hour, could be used every day in settings from workplaces to football stadiums.
But Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested today that they will only be deployed once nine in 10 adults have already had the Covid jab.
He said: “We want to make sure we reopen the economy as quickly as possible but make sure it’s sustainable.
When will hotels reopen?
Hospitality businesses including hotels could open their doors again in England from the Easter weekend if the R rate remains low up to April 2.
It would mean the return of the staycation – although international travel would still likely be on hold.
Some hotels are now open for people returning from countries on the red list who have to quarantine there for 10 days – paying £1,750 per person.
When can I go on holiday abroad?
Brits won’t find out until April 12 if they’ll be going on holiday abroad this summer.
There have been reports that the government is looking at bringing in international vaccination passports to allow trips abroad.
No details have been set out yet, though, for when Brits can go overseas for their long-overdue hols.
What is the criteria that must be met to ease lockdown?
The main criteria to ease the third lockdown is to ensure the NHS can cope with the number of infections and hospitalisations – making sure intensive care units are not overwhelmed.
It is also important to register a consistent fall in daily death rates and that the rate of infection is decreasing – with the R rate remaining below 1.
Another important criterion is that there is good supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enough testing capacity.
Last but not least, there must be confidence that any easing of restrictions will not cause another spike in Covid cases and deaths – which could spark the need for another lockdown or increased restrictions.
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When is Boris Johnson announcing his roadmap?
Boris Johnson will lay out his roadmap for lifting Covid restrictions from 7pm at Downing Street, on Monday, February 22.
You can watch it live on our YouTube channel or at the top of this article.
Or keep abreast of the latest updates in our live blog.
