Boris Johnson has issued an update on Boris Johnson’s plan to end all legal lockdown restrictions on June 21.
The Prime Minister has said there is still “nothing in the data at the moment that means we cannot go ahead with Step 4” of lifting coronavirus restrictions.
“But we’ve got to be so cautious,” he added, as he said infection rates were increasing.
“We always knew that was going to happen,” the Prime Minister said, adding: “What we need to work out is to what extent the vaccination programme has protected enough of us, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, against a new surge, and there I’m afraid the data is still ambiguous.
“The best the scientists can say at the moment is we just need to give it a little bit longer.”
Back in February, the Prime Minister announced a four-stage plan to end lockdown restrictions in England with the final stage just three weeks away.
Boris Johnson said the road map will “guide us cautiously but irreversibly towards reclaiming our freedoms”.
So far, all stages have gone ahead on schedule and despite concerns about the Indian variant of Covid-19, stage four looks set to carry on this trend.
Although it has not yet been confirmed by the government, from June 21 at the earliest, nightclubs are due to reopen and restrictions on large events such as festivals are to be lifted, as are restrictions on the number of people at weddings.
Later this month, the government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact.
The work from home message is also expected to be lifted in an effort to bring commuter trade back to city centres.
The update comes as Matt Hancock said confidence in the Covid-19 vaccines has been “sky high” in Britain.
The Health Secretary told the Global Vaccine Confidence Summit: “Across the UK confidence in the vaccine programme has been sky high.
“We continue to top the list of places where people are willing to take, or have taken, a Covid vaccine – around nine in 10 of us.”
He added: “I am aware that this isn’t a vaccine world cup – different nations don’t compete for one prize, we know that when everyone is safe, we’re all going to be the winners.”
Mr Hancock added that when vaccine confidence in one country “takes a hit” then “word can spread, fake news travels fast”.
“Vaccine confidence is an international challenge and one that takes international action,” he added.
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