Boris Johnson announces lockdown easing measures: All the dates you need to know

Boris Johnson has announced when all children can start going back to school as well as dates for when other lockdown restrictions will begin to ease.

This afternoon the Prime Minister told MPs about his plan for easing England's lockdown and set out a potential timeline of when things can be re-opened.

In a speech in the House of Commons Mr Johnson said that all pupils in all years in England can go back to the classroom from March 8, with a further easing of restrictions taking place on March 29 and several other dates for more relaxations of the rules.

He described it as a 'cautious but irreversible' plan, saying he wanted every adult to be vaccinated by the end of July, meaning more restrictions could be lifted.

What dates will lockdown restrictions be lifted in England?

More details on the lockdown easing dates

As well as the schools going back on the 8 March further restrictions will be lifted on March 29.

Boris Johnson said “limited changes” will be made on March 29 when schools go on Easter holidays, telling MPs: “It’ll become possible to meet in limited numbers outdoors where the risk is lower.

“So the rule of six will return outdoors including in private gardens and outdoor meetings of two households will also be permitted on the same basis, so that families in different circumstances can meet.”

Organised sport will return and we will also be able to travel to see family and friends as long as it's in keeping with the rule of six or two households rule.

From April 12 at the earliest: Non-essential retail and personal care, including hairdressers and nail salons, will open along with gyms while holiday lets can be used by individuals or household groups.

Mr Johnson told MPs: “We will begin to reopen our pubs and restaurants outdoors and honourable members will be relieved there will be no curfew and the Scotch egg debate will be over as there will be no requirement for alcohol to be accompanied by a substantial meal.”

Zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas will also reopen in this phase along with public libraries and community centres, Mr Johnson said.

From May 17 at the earliest, two households or groups of up to six people will be allowed to mix indoors and limited crowds will be allowed at sporting events. Children's play areas will be opened alongside hotels, and limited groups will be allowed in theatres.

He told MPs: “This is the point where you will be able to see your friends and family indoors subject to the rule of six or meeting of two households.

“We will also reopen pubs and restaurants indoors along with cinemas, children’s play areas, hotels, hostels and B&Bs, theatres and concert halls will reopen their doors.

“The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate, subject in all cases to capacity limits depending on the size of the venue.”

Larger events will be piloted using “enhanced testing” with an ambition of further easing of restrictions in the next step, Mr Johnson said.

International travel rules will also be reviewed, with May 17 targeted as the earliest possible date for a foreign holiday.

Boris Johnson told MPs Step Four will begin no earlier than June 21.

He told the Commons that in step four “we will aim to remove all legal limits on social contact and on weddings and other life events, we will reopen everything up to and including nightclubs and enable large events such as theatre performances above the limits of step three – potentially using testing to reduce the risk of infection”.

What did Boris say about lifting lockdown

Making a statement in the Commons, the Prime Minister said: “The threat remains substantial with the numbers in hospital only now beginning to fall below the peak of the first wave in April.

“But we are able to take these steps because of the resolve of the British people and the extraordinary success of our NHS in vaccinating more than 17.5 million people across the UK.”

He added that “no vaccine can ever be 100% effective”, telling MPs: “So, as the modelling released by Sage today shows, we cannot escape the fact that lifting lockdown will result in more cases, more hospitalisations and sadly more deaths.

“And this would happen whenever lockdown is lifted – whether now or in six or nine months – because there will always be some vulnerable people who are not protected by the vaccines.

“There is therefore no credible route to a zero Covid Britain, or indeed, a zero Covid world and we cannot persist indefinitely with restrictions that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental wellbeing and the life chances of our children.”

The four tests to lift lockdown

While the dates outlined are the earliest possible lifting of restrictions, how quickly we progress through those further lockdown easing steps depends on meeting these four tests:

• The success of the vaccine rollout
• Evidence of vaccine efficacy
• An assessment of new variants
• Keeping infection rates below a level that could put unsustainable pressure on the NHS

However, Number 10 insisted that the “stay at home” message would remain in place despite the relaxation of some restrictions.

The changes will apply across England, rather than on a regional basis.

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