Live updates as Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds Downing Street press conference to ease lockdown restrictions

The Prime Minister is set to hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm on Monday, May 10 in which he will announce the further easing of lockdown restrictons.

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement, the changes will come into force from Monday, May 17.

The changes are set to come into force on May 17 with most social contact rules for outdoors to be lifted, although gatherings of more than 30 will remain illegal.

The rule of six or two households will still apply indoors, with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove suggesting physical contact between friends and family will be allowed.

Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes are also expected to reopen.

Boris Johnson has confirmed that lockdown will ease further across England from Monday, May 17.

The Prime Minister has made the announcement during a Downing Street press conference.

From Monday, May 17 people will be able to sit inside pubs, cinemas and theatres as lockdown eases further in England.

The rule of six or two households will still apply and social distancing must be followed when not with close friends or family.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that physical contact with family members, such as hugs, will also be permitted when lockdown eases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised the efforts of the public across England for their work in allowing the Covid-19 lockdown to ease further.

Mr Johnson thanked the public for the sacrifices made during lockdown as he announced that step three of the road map could go ahead in England from May 17 as planned, saying: “Your efforts have so visibly paid off.”

Boris Johnson has revealed that the number of visitors that a care home resident can receive is being increased from two to five once lockdown eases.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that residents will be able to leave their care homes without the need to isolate upon their return.

The Prime Minister has revealed that deaths and hospitalisations due to Covid are at their lowest since July last year.

During a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said: ““With deaths and hospitalisations at their lowest level since last July and the UK’s four chief medical officers today agreeing a reduction in the alert level, the data now support moving to step three in England from next Monday, May 17.”

As lockdown eases, pupils in schools across England will no longer be required to wear face masks and coverings.

Boris Johnson has confirmed that England remains “on track” to end all legal restrictions on June 21 and said an update later this month would set out what role, “if any”, could be played by coronavirus health certificates and social distancing.

He told the Downing Street press conference: “This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road map back to normality and I am confident we will be able to go further.

“Subject to the impact of step three on the data, we remain on track to move to step four on June 21.

“And to give business more time to prepare we will be saying more later this month about exactly what the world will look like and what role there could be – if any – for certification and social distancing.”

Boris Johnson has said people should continue to follow social distancing rules when not with family and friends.

He told a Downing Street news conference: “We only have to look at the very sad situation in other countries to see the lethal potential of this virus  and we must continue to fight the spread of variants here in the UK.

“While we have no evidence yet to believe these variants are completely vaccine resistant, we must remain vigilant.”

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said he is concerned about an increase from very low levels in the prevalence of the Indian variant.

He told the Downing Street press conference: “Most of them are currently relatively stable and not increasing at a great rate, the one that is slightly concerning in terms of increasing as a proportion is the variant which has been described from India.

“That does appear to be increasing but from very low levels over the last two weeks.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated he would not bring forward the June 21 date for the final step of easing the restrictions.

He told the Downing Street press conference: “The secret of the success that we’ve had so far is that we’ve been guided by the data and we’ve given time to see the effect of each successive stage on the road map.”

Mr Johnson said next Monday’s easing is “a very considerable unlocking” which will bring “a lot of extra movement, a lot of extra contact”.

“We think it’s prudent, we think we can do it, but it’s got to be done in a way that’s cautious and I think that we will want to have time to see the effects,” he added.