PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has announced a 'conditional plan' to reopen society after seven weeks of lockdown.The "stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives" slogan, brought in at the start of the lockdown period, has been replaced with "stay alert, control the virus, save lives".
However, the "stay at home" advice will remain in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after leaders in the three devolved nations said Mr Johnson had not consulted them on the new message.
Among the measures announced by Mr Johnson was a new COVID Alert System with five levels, which will be introduced in England and will govern how quickly lockdown restrictions can be eased.
People will be allowed to leave their homes for unlimited outdoor exercise, and even play sports, but only with members of their own household.
People who cannot work from home should be actively encouraged to return to the workplace, but avoid public transport.There could be a phased reopening of primary schools 'at the earliest by June 1', initially involving reception, Year One and Year Six classes.There could also be a phased reopening of shops in June, but the Prime Minister cautioned this would only happen if the science supported it.Another step could see parts of the hospitality industry and other public places reopen 'if the numbers support it', but this would take place no earlier than July 1.The PM added: 'This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.'
The COVID Alert system will apply to England only but the government is working with the devolved administrations as they develop their own.
The system - with alerts ranging from green (level one) to red (level five) - will be adjusted according to data and will be similar to the one used to keep the public informed about the terror threat level.
Mr Johnson said England was currently at level four but moving towards level three.
The alert tool - to be administered by a new "joint biosecurity centre" - will reflect the virus threat in different parts of the country, meaning the threat level in one city could differ quite widely from another.
This could inform the local alteration of restrictions in England.
Meanwhile, a further 269 people have died in the UK during the past 24-hour period after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths recorded to 31,855.