Boris Johnson announcement: What did the PM say in his Covid lockdown roadmap speech on February 22?
BORIS Johnson has outlined his plan for unlocking England – which will start on March 8.
The PM announced a schedule on the loosening of restrictions in the House of Commons on February 22, 2021, before addressing the nation in a live press conference at 7pm.
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What time was Boris Johnson’s lockdown roadmap speech?
Boris Johnson spoke to MPs in the House of Commons shortly after 3.30pm on February 22, 2021, to explain his roadmap out of the third coronavirus lockdown.
The PM laid out his four-step plan to lead Britain back to normal life.
Mr Johnson then addressed the nation at 7pm during a Downing Street press conference where he was joined by Professor Chris Whitty.
He has repeatedly stressed that lockdown will be eased cautiously, and he will be guided by “data not dates”.
What did Boris Johnson announce?
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 on February 22.
Mr Johnson vowed his map was a “one way road to freedom” and insisted there would be no turning back.
He started the press conference by detailing how 17.7million people across the UK have been vaccinated.
He said this has “shifted the odds in our favour, as this vaccination programme is offering a shield around the whole nation”.
He also said that vaccines save lives and reduce hospitalisations, but there will be more deaths when lockdown eases “just as there are with flu”.
Extending lockdown would “itself cost lives and do immeasurable harm”, he says.
The Government will advance in four steps, each at least four weeks apart, the Prime Minister announced.
He said: “We’ll be led at every stage by data not dates and we will apply four tests – the pace of the vaccination programme, the effectiveness of the vaccines, the pressure on the NHS and the risks of any new variants of Covid.”
Step one – which will commence on March 8 – is to see the full reopening of schools, the Prime Minister says.
Mr Johnson also confirmed that on March 29, groups of two households, or groups subject to the rule of six, will be able to socialise outside.
Step two – parts of hospitality will reopen outdoors from April 12, as well as non-essential retailers.
Step three – hospitality will reopen completely from May 17, with the rule of six indoors, as well as sports stadiums, concert halls and theatres.
Referring to step four, the Prime Minister said: “Finally, provided we continue to pass the four tests, from June 21 we will go to step four and say goodbye to most restrictions.”
All restrictions will be lifted at the same time across England – with no more tiers in sight.
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.
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, a change from lockdown regulations that limited 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.
Families who live in different areas of the country will also be able to travel to meet outdoors from April 12, as long as they don’t enter each other’s homes.
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.
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.
When will gyms reopen?
Gyms and sports centres will reopen on May 17
It comes after a 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.
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?
Mr Johnson said that non-essential retailers can reopen from April 12.
All non-essential stores, such as homeware, clothes and toys shops, are currently closed under the shut down restrictions.
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.
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
When can cinemas and theatres reopen?
Brits will be able to flock back to cinemas and theatres from May 17.
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.
Nightclubs will be allowed to welcome party-goers for the first time since last March on June 21.
When can large events start to happen again?
From May 17, stadiums, live venues and cinemas will be able to welcome fans once again, with caps on numbers to help maintain social distancing.
A maximum of 10,000 spectators will be allowed in stadiums and arenas.
The move means the final round of 2020/21 Premier League could see fans return to stadiums – some for the first time since March 2020.
Wembley Stadium is scheduled to host the delayed semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 in July 2021.
The number of attendees allowed at weddings will rise to 30.
When will hotels reopen?
Following the new plan to ease restrictions, self catered holiday homes can be let to single households from April 12.
From May 17, hotels reopen and holiday homes can be let to groups of up to six people from different households or groups from two households with no cap on size.
The Prime Minister also announced that from June 21, holiday homes can be let to groups of all sizes.
It would mean the return of the staycation – although international travel remains on hold.
Boris will announce a decision on foreign holidays on April 12.
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 restrictions?
The third lockdown was in place to ensure the NHS could cope with the number of infections and hospitalisations – making sure intensive care units are not overwhelmed.
Mr Johnson told parliament on February 22 that easing of restrictions was “resolve of the British public” and the “extraordinary success of our NHS in vaccinating more than 17.5 million”.
He added: “The threat remains substantial, with the numbers in hospital only now beginning to fall below the peak of the first wave in April.”
The PM said there were four criteria that need to be watched to continue the lifting of restrictions. These are
- first, that the vaccine deployment programme continues successfully;
- second, that evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths;
- third, that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS;
- fourth, that our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of Covid that cause concern.