|
Johnson said he looked forward to getting his hair cut and
having a pint of beer in the garden of a pub, among the
activities permitted if stage two of his unlocking plan proceeds
on April 12. All non-essential shops are also due to reopen from
that date.
On Monday, there will be a smaller change, allowing groups of 6
to meet up outside. Foreign travel will be banned until at least
May 17, which is also the earliest date indoor hospitality and
performance venues might re-open.
Although Johnson has outlined dates at which he plans to ease
restrictions, he has been clear that it is "data, not dates"
which will determine whether the unlocking can proceed to
schedule.
"As things stand, I can see absolutely nothing in the data to
dissuade me from continuing along our roadmap to freedom,
unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love,"
Johnson said in a speech to the Conservative spring conference.
His comments came after data showed a recent steep fall in
infections were starting to level off.
Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday
said the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England is no
longer falling and has levelled off at an estimated 1 in 340
people.
England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said earlier this
week that a slowdown in steep drops in infection rates was to be
expected after schools reopened on March 8.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
