The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said the brakes will be put on the roadmap for reopening if unexpected events throw the UK’s recovery off course, citing the Kent variant as a moment in the pandemic that forced a change of approach.
The prime minister will set out a roadmap on Monday for the reopening of the economy and society, expected to start with all English schools returning on 8 March and some loosening of restrictions on social contact that would allow two people to meet outside.
The plan for reopening, which is expected to run to more than 50 pages and contain detailed economic and public health justifications for each measure, will be signed off by Boris Johnson and a small group of ministers at the Covid-S (Covid strategy) meeting at 11am on Sunday.
The plan will be put to cabinet on Monday morning, followed by an afternoon statement to parliament and then an address to the nation at about 7pm.
Hancock said the vaccination programme was going well but needed time to take effect. “The vaccination programme, whilst clearly going very well, will take time to be able to reach all people who have significant vulnerability, especially because we need to get the second jab to everybody,” he said.
“We’ve got time that needs to be taken to get this right. The prime minister will set out the roadmap tomorrow and he will set out the full details – taking into account that we need to take a cautious but irreversible approach, that’s the goal.”
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