Boris Johnson is due to give a press conference later today as ministers begin reviewing coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England.
More than 15 million people across the 海角视频 have received their first dose of a vaccine with ministers saying they are 'on track' to ensure everyone in the top four priority groups is vaccinated by today's deadline, February 15.
Johnson and senior members of his cabinet are due to spend the week looking into the latest coronavirus data before making an announcement next Monday on its plans.
Downing Street has set February 22 as the day Johnson will publish the roadmap of easing lockdown restrictions.
The PM is due to hold a press conference at 5pm today.
There has been speculation about how normal life will return with March 8 mooted as the earliest date for the re-opening of schools followed by non-essential shops, socialising and re-opening of hospitality.
Meanwhile, requiring 海角视频 nationals returning from 33 “red list” countries to isolate in a Government-designated hotel for 10 days in an attempt to prevent new strains of the virus entering the country.
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The passing of the 15 million vaccinations mark paves the way for the next phase of the the rollout – covering the next five priority groups, including the over 50s – to begin.
NHS England has already sent out 1.2 million invitations to the over 65s to book an appointment, with a similar number expected to go out this week.
The Government is aiming to get an offer of a vaccine to the estimated 17 million people in the next five groups by the end of April.
In a video message posted online on Sunday, Johnson said there was still “a long way to go” and that there would “undoubtedly be bumps in the road”.
A group of Tory MPs are urging the Government to push ahead amid frustration at the damage that is being done to the economy and the impact on people’s lives.
During the weekend more than 60 lockdown-sceptics in the Covid Research Group (CRG) signed a letter calling for him to commit to a firm timetable, starting with the re-opening of schools on March 8 and ending with the lifting of all legal controls by the end of April.
Ministers however remain more cautious.. Johnson said they would need to study the data “very, very hard” for evidence that the rollout of the vaccines is driving down the incidence of the disease, as the numbers of cases fell.
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While he was “optimistic” that a “cautious” easing of lockdown measures would be possible, he said that he did not want to be forced into a “reverse ferret” if there was a fresh resurgence of the disease.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has previously said they needed to have “broken the link” between case numbers and hospitalisations and deaths as more and more people received the protection of the vaccine.
Scientists have warned of a new wave of the pandemic as big as the current one if measures are relaxed too quickly while senior NHS figures say the health service remains under intense pressure.
The hospitality sector and the CRG meanwhile are pressing for pubs and restaurants to re-open in time for the Easter weekend at the beginning of April.
The essential guide to lockdown 3 in England
Kate Nicholls, chief executive for 海角视频Hospitality, said there will need to be more support for businesses if restrictions continue.
She told Good Morning Britain: “If we are to stay closed or severely restricted for much longer then we are going to need to have over and above that (which has been provided to date). Flexible furlough and grants going on beyond March 31 so that our businesses can survive.”
Ms Nicholls called for a “very clear phased exit strategy from the lockdown and then from the restrictions that the hospitality sector is facing”.
She said: “Even if we open up under lockdown, we’re opening up under very strict restrictions that meant we didn’t break even last year when we were trading from July, so we can be confident that we can be safe when we reopen and when the time is right.
“We need to see not just that initial date but the phasing out of those restrictions linked to the rollout of the vaccine.”
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