The Prime Minister will today
(Monday) set out the Government’s roadmap for cautiously easing
lockdown restrictions in England.
Cabinet will meet virtually this morning
(Monday) to discuss the plan, the Prime Minister will give a
statement to Parliament in the afternoon, and host a televised
press conference in the evening.
He will set out the latest data on infection
rates, hospitalisations and deaths, as well as early data showing
the efficacy of vaccines.
The roadmap for leaving lockdown, which will
be published ongov.uk on Monday, will seek
to balance health, economic and social factors with the very
latest epidemiological data and advice.
Prime Minister said:
“Today I’ll be setting out a roadmap 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 roadmap outlines four steps for easing restrictions. Before
proceeding to the next step, the Government will examine the data
to assess the impact of previous easements. This assessment will
be based on four tests which are that:
-
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.
The four tests are currently being met so the
first step will proceed from 8 March, at which point the top four
priority cohorts for vaccinations - as determined by the
independent JCVI - will have received a degree of immunity, three
weeks after being offered their first dose.
Due to the current, relatively uniform spread of the virus across
the country, restrictions will be eased step-by-step across the
whole of England at the same time.
The roadmap seeks to balance between social and economic impacts,
whilst preserving the health and safety of the country.
Outdoor settings are known to be lower risk
than indoor, so outdoor activities will be opened earlier than
indoor ones.
MPs will have an opportunity to vote on the regulations that will
enable this roadmap in Parliament in the coming weeks.
We continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as
we have throughout the pandemic. They are setting out approaches
for easing for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
