UK Primer Minister Boris Johnson has announced a phased plan for easing England's lockdown.
- International travel is still, however, barred.
- England has, meanwhile, began vaccinations.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out a phased plan on Monday to end England's Covid-19 lockdown, offering a "cautious" approach to try to prevent a return to wholesale restrictions that have hobbled the economy.
International travel from England will be banned until 17 May at the earliest, Johnson said.
In its roadmap for easing restrictions, the government announced a review of travel which will report on April 12 with recommendations about how international travel should resume, while managing the risks f new variants of coronavirus.
Britain is looking at a system of allowing vaccinated individuals to travel more freely internationally, it added.
Johnson, under pressure to allow more freedoms to millions of people stuck at home and offer hope to shuttered businesses, said the first stage would prioritise schools returning on 8 March when only minimal socialising outdoors would be allowed.
The so-called roadmap would then pass through four stages, with five weeks in-between, and the final step, when most restrictions would be lifted, not starting until 21 June at the earliest.
"The threat remains substantial", Johnson told parliament, saying it was crucial the roadmap was cautious but irreversible.
"We're able to take these steps because of the resolve of the British public and the extraordinary success of our NHS (National Health Service) in vaccinating more than 17.5 million people across the UK."
With almost 130,000 fatalities, Britain has suffered the world's fifth-highest official death toll from the pandemic and its $3 trillion economy has seen its biggest crash in over 300 years.
But Johnson said the fast start to the vaccine roll-out plus a sharp fall in infections can now set out a cautious easing of England's tough national lockdown, which started on 5 January.
As the plan unfolds, lawmakers will have a chance to vote on specific steps. Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are responsible for their own public health, will also ease restrictions over the coming months.
*Vaccinations*
A total of 17.7 million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, official data released on Monday showed.
Britain also reported a further 10 641 cases and 178 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.That compares with 9 834 and 215 respectively on Sunday.