First step on roadmap out of lockdown is revealed

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The first steps to freedom from lockdown will prioritise reopening schools and  reuniting families, Boris Johnson said last night.

In two weeks, on March 8, you will be able to meet one friend or family member in the park for a coffee or a picnic.

On the same date, all pupils will return to the classroom as part of the first of four steps towards getting the country back on its feet.

Unveiling his long-awaited roadmap today, the Prime Minister will announce that on March 29, outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed – enabling families and friend groups to meet properly for the first time in months.

That date will also see the reopening of tennis courts and golf courses and the return of grassroots football.

But in a blow to many families, they will not be allowed to take holidays over the Easter weekend. And shops, hairdressers and pubs are all likely to remain closed until mid-April at the earliest.

Business chiefs last night urged Mr Johnson to ‘be bold’.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said now was the time ‘to commit to reopening our pubs so that thousands of communities and businesses up and down the country can begin to emerge from this crisis’.

The latest development in the pandemic came as: 

• Matt Hancock revealed that one in three adults had received a Covid jab;
• The Health Secretary said there was early data showing the vaccine reduced transmission of the disease;
• Surge testing was introduced in Brentwood, Essex, following the discovery of the South African variant in the area;
• Former Tory leader William Hague said he could not see ‘much justification’ for keeping restrictions in place once the over-50s have been vaccinated by April;
• Latest figures showed 215 Covid deaths were recorded yesterday, down 16.6 per cent week on week, while infections also dropped by 10 per cent to 9,834 cases;
• Mr Hancock suggested teachers would not jump the vaccine queue because they were not more likely to die of the disease.

British Beauty Council chief executive Millie Kendall added: ‘We appeal to the Prime Minister to give us hope we will soon be back to business as usual.’

Mr Johnson will say today that further restrictions will be lifted in subsequent weeks, as long as they meet a set of four new tests designed to keep the pressure off the NHS.

There are that: the vaccine deployment programme continues successfully; evidence shows the jabs are effective at reducing hospital admissions and deaths; infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital cases; and no risky new variants emerge.

He said last night the four tests were currently being met, allowing the first step to go ahead from March 8.

The Prime Minister said he would bring the country out of lockdown ‘cautiously’.

‘Our priority has always been getting children back into school… and we will also be prioritising ways for people to reunite with loved ones safely,’ he said.

Mr Johnson’s roadmap was signed off by senior ministers at a special Covid-S meeting yesterday, and will be rubber-stamped by the Cabinet this morning.

The Prime Minister will give a statement to Parliament in the afternoon, and host a televised press conference in the evening.

Mr Johnson’s roadmap has four steps, with step one coming into force in two parts: March 8 and three weeks later on March 29. The first step focuses on education and providing for a sensible increase in social contact outdoors.

From March 29, as school holidays begin, more social contact will be permitted. Outdoor gatherings of either six people (a reintroduction of the rule of six) or two households can take place.

Also from March 29, outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts will reopen. Organised adult and children’s sport can also return. This will allow grassroots football for all ages to begin again.

Addressing MPs this afternoon, Mr Johnson will set out the latest data on infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths, as well as data showing the vaccines’ efficacy. 

He will say that due to the 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.

Sir Keir Starmer yesterday backed Mr Johnson’s demand that all children should be  back in England’s classrooms on March 8, setting himself on a collision course with the unions.

The Labour leader’s stance comes after a coalition of unions and professional bodies warned that reopening schools to all pupils at the same time would be ‘reckless’ and could risk another spike in Covid-19 infections.

But yesterday the unions were accused of bringing the teaching profession ‘into  disrepute’ through their hardline stance.

And it emerged that head teachers will be given hundreds of millions of pounds to open classes during the six-week summer break for youngsters who have fallen behind with their education.  

Time to be bold, Boris: Hospitality leaders and Tory MPs unite to demand return of pubs by Easter

By Daniel Martin and Tom Witherow

Tory MPs lined up with business leaders last night to urge Boris Johnson to ‘be bold’ and accelerate the lifting of all lockdown restrictions.

Pubs and restaurant owners said they needed to see light at the end of the tunnel after a devastating year for the hospitality industry.

Former Conservative leader Lord Hague heaped further pressure on the Prime Minister by saying there would be little justification for keeping most Covid limits once the over-50s have been vaccinated in April.

This came as 40 Tory MPs joined with the hospitality industry to urge Mr Johnson to open pubs and restaurants in time for Easter.

Meanwhile Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, called on the Prime Minister to open up the tourism industry.

‘There is enormous demand for seeing friends and family, and taking a holiday,’ he said. ‘Passengers and airlines want to see a bold plan detailing how and when they will be able to take to the skies, safely, again.’

Lord Hague told Sky News: ‘I’m hoping to hear that before too long the great majority of restrictions can be lifted.

‘If we are going to reach the point where everybody over 50 has had the opportunity to be vaccinated and the number of cases is down to a very low level, the sort of level we last saw in the middle of summer last year.

‘If both of those things have happened by some time in April, then there wouldn’t be much justification for keeping most of the restrictions.

‘Coming in through 2021, we ought to be in a position with mass testing, a test and trace system and the huge success of the vaccination programme… then we do have the tools to prevent future lockdowns.’

Last night the UK’s leading hospitality trade associations joined forces with the Covid Recovery Group of 40 Tory MPs to call for the sector to open by Easter.

Mark Harper, CRG chairman, said: ‘Britain’s hospitality industry has had one of the toughest years on record and it’s vital we do everything we can to get them open in a Covid-secure way that allows them to protect jobs and operate viably.

‘As we get better and better news about the pace of the vaccination rollout, the public have got to see this success and their sacrifice translating into a return to normal life.’

Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the CRG, said pubs and the rest of the hospitality industry had lost hundreds of thousands of jobs ‘and 40 per cent of its businesses are due to fail this year if we don’t start safely lifting restrictions’.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘Pubs demonstrated last year that the trade was able to reopen safely.

‘The millions of pounds of investment in Covid-secure measures mean that we’re in a great position to do so again.’

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said ‘just one in five hospitality businesses’ have enough funds to survive the next month.

‘That is why we urge the Prime Minister to work with us on delivering a safe, swift and sustainable exit from lockdown for hospitality,’ she added. ‘The best way to support these businesses is to allow them to reopen.’

John Foster, of the Confederation of British Industry, said that companies are looking to Mr Johnson to ‘provide a pragmatic route out of lockdown and inject some real momentum back into the economy’.

So much for social distancing! Crowds flock to parks and beauty spots as Britain basks in a balmy 60F temperatures on hottest day of the year so far – while infection rates drop again with Boris set to announce route out of lockdown tomorrow 

A break in the rainfall that has saturated much of Britain this week provided the perfect opportunity for crowds of people to head outside to enjoy the hottest day of 2021 so far.

With Covid-19 infection rates having fallen by 10 per cent on last week, many headed outside for some lockdown relief and to make the most of a rare dry day.    

Hoards of sunseekers were seen making the most of the break in the recent rain by taking strolls or enjoying a sit down away from their bubbles. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline his roadmap for steering the nation of of its third national lockdown, but many people took matters into their own hands early to bask in the rare sunshine.    

Pictures from today saw many people meeting in large groups outside, some with people from outside of their own social bubbles, as Britain enjoyed a warmer day. 

The warmest temperatures today were found in Weybourne, Norfolk, where the mercury nudged 60F making it the warmest day of 2021 so far.

Just two weeks ago the same town froze in 0.8C temperatures, showing the upturn in the recent mild conditions.

Today in London dozens of people were spotted sitting and walking closely to others near Tower Bridge with little or no thought for the two-metre rule.

People also seemed to be ignoring the rules in Hyde Park where some stopped to have picnics together and others nonchalantly strolled by parked police cars.

And in Windsor people strolled together on the Long Walk near other groups

Current restrictions forbid meeting other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Any outdoor gatherings must be limited to between just two people from two households, yet crowds of sunseekers took to beaches and green spaces across the country today, just days ahead of Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ to freedom announcement.

Martin Bowles, operating meteorologist from the Met Office said we can look forward to more mild conditions this week, with the south east even set to bask in 62F.

He said: ‘It’s going to stay quite mild as we have a southerly flow.

‘Some places will still get more rain than others. But we can expect it to stay milder and dryer next weekend.’

It comes after several weeks of rainy weather across the country bringing flood misery to thousands.

The Met Office says there will be further rain tonight through southwest England, parts of the Midlands, Wales and northern England.

Northern Ireland and Scotland can expect it to stay mostly dry.

But that could change on Tuesday when southwest Scotland and into the northwest of England, such as Cumbria, have a yellow rain warning.

Martin added: ‘We had quite a lot of rain three or four days ago which came quite out of the blue.

‘Some rivers will be quite close to overflowing as it is and some flood warnings will be put out.’