RECAP as Boris Johnson confirms lockdown easing plans in England at Downing Street briefing

As Boris Johnson updates the public on the final stage of lockdown easing at a Downing Street news conference at 5 pm, Health Secretary Sajid Javid will be addressing MPs in Parliament about the plans.

The simultaneous announcements come after Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle met with Johnson last month to raise issue with the fact statements about lockdown changes were being made to the press before MPs were told in the House of Commons.

It was then agreed that announcements would be made simultaneously to the public and MPs in the House of Commons, which is also broadcast live on the Parliament website.

The Prime Minister is expected to tell people in England later that it will be left to their “judgment” to manage the risks of coronavirus as he prepares to end restrictions on July 19.

The end of lockdown was initially planned for June 21, but it was delayed by four weeks amid rising cases of Covid-19, fuelled by the highly transmissive Delta variant.

It has been suggested that from so-called “freedom day” on July 19 mask wearing will become voluntary, while social distancing in pubs and bars will end – along with needing to use a QR code to check-in.

Mass events, including festivals, will also reportedly be allowed under the proposals for the final stage of the road map out of lockdown.

The Prime Minister is expected to say: “Thanks to the successful rollout of our vaccination programme, we are progressing cautiously through our road map.

“Today we will set out how we can restore people’s freedoms when we reach Step 4.

“But I must stress that the pandemic is not over and that cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks.

“As we begin to learn to live with this virus, we must all continue to carefully manage the risks from Covid and exercise judgment when going about our lives.”

Latest figures show the North East overtaking the North West as the nation’s main coronavirus hotspot, with Newcastle upon Tyne becoming the area of England with the highest rate of new cases of Covid-19.

Other areas of region are currently seeing their highest rate of new cases since comparable figures began last summer, when mass testing was first introduced across the UK.

These include South Tyneside (604.1), Gateshead (565.2), County Durham (551.2) and North Tyneside (547.3), according to analysis by the PA news agency.

Six of the top 10 highest rates in England are in North East England – a major turnaround from just two weeks ago, when the entire top 10 were areas in north-west England.

As of 9am on Monday, there had been a further 27,334 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, the Government said.

The Government said a further nine people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday, bringing the UK total to 128,231.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

A total of 66,368,542 Covid-19 vaccinations had taken place in England between December 8 and July 4, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 148,420 on the previous day.

NHS England said 38,044,157 were first doses, a rise of 62,672 on the previous day, while 28,324,385 were a second dose, an increase of 85,748.

The PM has started the Downing Street news conference.

He is joined by England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance

The Prime Minister has confirmed all legal limits on the number of people meeting indoors and outdoors will be removed from Step 4, expected to happen on July 19.

Businesses, including nightclubs, will be allowed to reopen and the limit on named visitors to care homes will also be lifted.

Boris Johnson has also told the press conference that the work from home guidance will be removed as well and mask wearing will no longer be mandatory.

The gap between coronavirus vaccine doses for the under-40s will be reduced from 12 weeks to eight in an acceleration of the rollout to allow all adults to be offered both jabs by mid-September, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

The red list is set to remain, but the Prime Minister has told the Downing Street briefing that the Government will work with the travel industry to remove the need for self-isolating for fully-vaccinated people arriving from amber list countries.

Boris Johnson has added that the transport secretary will be providing an update later this week.