LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chart England's path out of COVID-19 lockdown on Monday in an effort to gradually reopen its battered economy, aided by one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world.
With more than 120,000 fatalities, Britain has suffered the world's fifth-highest official death toll from the pandemic and its $3 trillion economy its biggest crash in more than 300 years.
But a fast start to the vaccine rollout plus a tough near-two-month national lockdown means Johnson can now set out a phased easing of the restrictions in England, prioritising the return of children to school and social mixing outdoors.
"Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step, and we will be cautious about this approach so that we do not undo the progress we have achieved so far," he will say, according to his office.
Lawmakers will have a chance to vote on Johnson's plan in parliament. Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which have responsibility for their own public health decisions, are also expected to ease restrictions in the coming months.
Nadhim Zahawi, the minister in charge of the vaccine rollout, said English schools would reopen on March 8. They have been open only to vulnerable pupils and to key workers' children since Jan. 5, with all others studying at home.
Zahawi also said on LBC Radio that two people from separate households would be allowed to meet outdoors from March 8, while from March 29 outdoor socialising would be permitted for groups of six people maximum, or for two households together. Outdoor sports will also be allowed to resume from March 29, he said.
SPEEDY VACCINE ROLLOUT
Under pressure on one side from politicians in his ruling Conservative Party eager to restart the economy, and on the other from scientific advisers who fear a resurgence of the virus if he unlocks too quickly, Johnson faces tough choices.
He has appeared much more cautious in recent months than he did earlier on in the pandemic.
Health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday that after each step to ease restrictions, there would be a pause of a couple of weeks to assess the impact on the wider population before any further relaxation was implemented.
Johnson is expected to set out four criteria to be considered before each new step is taken, including the speed and success of the inoculation programme, the state of infection rates and the impact of any new variants of the virus.
Britain moved faster than many other Western countries to secure vaccine supplies and has been inoculating people rapidly since December, a strategy that has driven sterling and stock markets higher on hopes of an economic rebound.
Some 17.6 million people, over a quarter of the 67 million population, have now received a first dose, behind only Israel and the United Arab Emirates in vaccines per head of population. The government aims to give a first dose to all adults by the end of July.
Hancock also said Britain had recently succeeded in driving down cases of the more infectious South African variant. Overall daily coronavirus cases hovered around 11,000 a day last week, compared with a high of over 80,000 in late December.
Reuters
Mon Feb 22 2021
Johnson is expected to set out four criteria to be considered before each new step is taken, including the speed and success of the inoculation programme, the state of infection rates and the impact of any new variants of the virus. AP pic
Hari Kebangsaan: Kapasiti tempat duduk di Dataran Putrajaya ditambah - Fahmi
Kapasiti tempat duduk awam bertingkat di Dataran Putrajaya di sini akan ditambah.
Dua remaja maut ketika buat aksi 'wheelie'
Dua remaja lelaki maut selepas motosikal yang ditunggang mereka bertembung ketika melakukan aksi 'wheelie' di Jalan Elmina Business Park, Aman Putri, Sungai Pelong di sini pada Rabu.
PRK Nenggiri diteruskan selepas Azizi tarik balik rayuan
Mohd Azizi menarik balik rayuan dibuat terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi yang menolak permohonan injunksi sementara bagi menghentikan PRK Nenggiri.
Jenazah Muhammad Nidza Afham selamat dikebumikan
Jenazah Allahyarham Muhammad Nidza Afham Mokhtar selamat dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Bandar Puncak Alam jam 6.30 petang tadi.
Proses libat urus Belanjawan 2025 berjalan lancar - Fahmi
Proses libat urus Kementerian Kewangan dengan pihak pemegang taruh bagi tujuan penyiapan dokumen Belanjawan 2025 berjalan lancar.
Projek LCS: Mahkamah arah bekas Pengarah Urusan BNS dirujuk pakar psikiatri
Mahkamah Sesyen mengarahkan bekas Pengarah Urusan BNS Tan Sri Ahmad Ramli Mohd Nor, dirujuk ke bahagian psikiatri di Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Amaran gempa bumi di Jepun selama seminggu berakhir selepas tiada perkembangan baharu
Nasihat gempa bumi Palung Nankai mendorong kerajaan pusat dan komuniti tempatan untuk memperhebatkan persiapan bencana sejak minggu lepas.
Jenazah ibu Menteri Besar Kedah selamat dikebumikan
Jenazah Allahyarham Meriam Ahmad, 74, ibu Menteri Besar Kedah, selamat dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Sungai Pau jam 5.45 petang Khamis.
Pengarah SRC adalah profesional, bukan boneka yang diupah oleh Najib - Ismee
Mahkamah Tinggi diberitahu bahawa Ahli Lembaga Pengarah SRC International adalah sekumpulan profesional dan bukannya 'boneka' Najib.
Mesir tekankan keperluan gencatan senjata segera di Gaza
Pendekatan itu adalah satu-satunya cara menghentikan peningkatan ketegangan serantau dan membendung percubaan untuk meluaskan konflik.
WHO isytihar mpox sebagai kecemasan kesihatan awam global
Ini merupakan pengisytiharan kali kedua dalam tempoh dua tahun berikutan wabak yang bermula di Congo sudah merebak ke negara jiran.
WHO sambut baik pemindahan perubatan pertama sejak penutupan Rafah
Lebih 10,000 orang perlu dipindahkan dan menerima rawatan perubatan di luar Gaza.
WHO beri amaran ubat diabetes palsu, banyak diguna untuk kurus badan
Ubat diabetes palsu telah diedarkan di seluruh dunia sejak 2022, Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) memberi amaran dalam satu kenyataan pada Khamis, lapor Agensi Berita Jerman (dpa).
Negara anggota WHO lanjutkan perbincangan perjanjian pandemik setahun lagi
INB akan meneruskan mandatnya untuk menyampaikan perjanjian itu menjelang Perhimpunan Kesihatan Sedunia pada 2025, atau lebih awal.
Promosi berleluasa, tanpa kawalan antara faktor pengaruhi remaja jadi perokok kekal - KKM
Di bawah Akta 852, KKM akan memperketatkan larangan penjualan, pembelian dan penggunaan semua jenis produk merokok kepada orang belum dewasa (OBD) yang berumur kurang 18 tahun.
Menteri Palestin mahu AS desak Israel buka lintasan Rafah
Majed Abu Ramadan berkata tidak ada petunjuk bahawa pihak berkuasa Israel akan berbuat perkara berkenaan dalam masa terdekat.
Sistem kesihatan Gaza lumpuh, Israel dikecam teruk dalam mesyuarat tahunan WHO
Beberapa negara anggota turut menyalahkan Israel atas risiko kebuluran yang semakin meningkat di Gaza.
GPW14 instrumen penting bentuk masa depan ekosistem kesihatan sejagat
Malaysia optimis kerjasama dengan WHO melalui GPW14 akan membentuk masa depan kesihatan global.
WHO gesa Israel tarik balik sekatan bantuan ke Gaza
Saluran utama untuk bantuan perubatan ke enklaf dari Mesir telah terputus.
Tiada bekalan perubatan diterima di Gaza selama 10 hari - WHO
Penutupan lintasan Rafah ke Gaza oleh Israel telah menyebabkan "situasi yang sukar."