Boris's lockdown exit plan in full: 50 page document says two metre rule cannot always be kept, admits masks SHOULD be worn and holds out prospect of sport behind closed doors and social 'bubbles' from NEXT MONTH
- In his roadmap PM said the only long-term hope was a medical breakthrough
- Work is already underway around the globe on a vaccine and other treatments
- But he warned: 'A mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away'
- And added: 'Indeed, in a worst-case scnario, we may never find a vaccine'
People's lives will be affected for the 'foreseeable future' by coronavirus, Boris Johnson warned today as he admitted that a vaccine against the deadly pathogen may never be found.
In his 50-page roadmap for the nation to ease its way out of lockdown he said the only long-term hope to get the country back to something resembling normality was a medical breakthrough against Covid-19.
Work is already underway around the globe on a vaccine and other treatments designed to slash the death rate of a pandemic which has claimed more than 30,000 lives in the UK alone.
In a stark forward to the plan, published this afternoon, Mr Johnson told the public: 'It is clear that the only feasible long-term solution lies with a vaccine or drug-based treatment ... but while we hope for a breakthrough, hope is not a plan.
'A mass vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away. Indeed, in a worst-case scenario, we may never find a vaccine.''
In his 50-page roadmap for the nation to ease its way out of lockdown he said the only long-term hope to get the country back to something resembling normality was a medical breakthrough against Covid-19
A graphical interpretation of how the steps will pan our over the next few months
STEP ONE
Work
From Wednesday, a series of tweaks will be implemented in England - although the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will not necessarily be the same.
The document said that people should work from home 'wherever possible' for the 'foreseeable future', to 'minimise the number of social contacts across the country'.
In an attempt to blow away any stigma for those who do carry on doing their jobs, the plan said: 'All those who work are contributing taxes that help pay for the healthcare provision on which the UK relies.
'People who are able to work at home make it possible for people who have to attend workplaces in person to do so while minimising the risk of overcrowding on transport and in public places.'
But even if they cannot work from home, most people are now being 'actively encouraged' to go back.
'The only exceptions to this are those workplaces such as hospitality and non-essential retail which during this first step the Government is requiring to remain closed,' the blueprint said.
The plan said 'COVID-19 Secure' guidelines will be produced this week, but merely stated that businesses should follow these 'as soon as practicable' - leaving a considerable degree of uncertainty about how and when workers can be reassured about safety.
Anyone who displays symptoms should isolate as was advised before.
Schools
The document admits that the 'rate of infection remains too high' to allow reopening of schools 'for all pupils'.
But it insisted that there is a 'large societal benefit' from vulnerable children and the offspring of key workers attending school. 'Local authorities and schools should therefore urge more children who would benefit from attending in person to do so,' it added.
The Government is also amending its guidance to allow for nannies and childminders, saying it will 'enable more working parents to return'.
Travel
The plan stressed that 'most journeys to work involve people travelling either by bike, by car or on foot'.
But it conceded that public transport is critical, 'particularly in urban centres and at peak times'.
The blueprint said 'everybody (including critical workers) should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible', instead cycling, walking or driving.
Moves are under way to widen pavements, create pop-up cycle lanes, and close some roads in cities to traffic to enable other social-distancing friendly transport methods.
Face coverings
The document said in this stage face coverings will help people avoid transmitting the disease to others if they have it without any symptoms.
It added that homemade cloth face-coverings can help reduce the risk, but surgical masks or respirators should continue to be reserved for healthcare workers.
Ministers added that face coverings should not be used by children aged under two or those with respiratory conditions.
People who may find it difficult to manage the masks correctly such as primary age children unassisted are also advised not to wear them.
Officials said the new guidance was being issued in response to there being 'more movement outside people's immediate household' as people start returning to work.
Public spaces
In a loosening that will come as a huge relief in England, the once-a-day restriction on exercise is being lifted.
You can spend time outside with one other person outside your household, as long as you stay two metres apart. This means tennis or golf with another person is now allowed.
However, team sports are still off limits, as are playgrounds and outdoor gyms.
People may travel as far as they want to get to outdoor spaces, and are permitted to stop and sunbathe as long as they keep two metres from anyone not in their own household.
That means, for example, people can drive to the beach and park, before sunning themselves.
In acknowledgement of the widening splits across the UK, the document noted that 'it is important that people respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different parts of the UK where it would be inconsistent with guidance or regulations'.
The plan noted: 'These measures may come with some risk; it is important that everyone continues to act responsibly, as the large majority have done to date. The infection rate will increase if people begin to break these rules and, for example, mix in groups in parks, which will trigger the need for further restrictions.'
Tougher fines, of up to £3,200 are being introduced to help enforce the increasingly complex rules.
Travel
As the outbreak subsides in the UK, there will be action to prevent 'leakage' in from abroad.
All international arrivals will need to supply contact and accommodation information. 'They will also be strongly advised to download and use the NHS contact tracing app,' the document said.
'Second, the Government will require all international arrivals not on a short list of exemptions to self-isolate in their accommodation for fourteen days on arrival into the UK.'
However, there is no deadline for these measures to be introduced, with the plan merely saying 'as soon as possible'.
STEP TWO
Step Two will not be implemented until June 1 at the earliest and the Government will give at least 48 hours notice that changes are to be made.
Schools
The biggest measure for families across Britain is the prospective return to school and nursery of thousands of children.
Teachers have been told to prepare to reopen their doors on June 1, with reception, year one and year six pupils the first to go back, in smaller classes.
The strategy said that the ambition is for all primary school children to return to school before the summer holidays for a month 'if feasible' - but this will be kept under review.
Secondary schools and further education colleges should prepare to begin some 'face-to-face contact' with Year 10 and 12 students who have key exams next year.
However, ministers face a potential problem in the shape of reticent teachers and parents. More than 380,000 people have signed a petition urging the Government to give parents a choice on sending their children back to school if they reopen next month.
And Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: 'Parents are quite rightly concerned about the risks to their children, not just at school but on their daily journeys to and from school.
'This in turn threatens the safety of adults in the school community: parents, families, teachers, heads and support staff.
'Social distancing for younger children will be difficult to achieve and for others there will be the issues of narrow corridors and classrooms that just aren't big enough to allow social distancing.'
In response to parents, the Government announced that fines usually levelled for truanting would not apply if parents did not send their children back to school.
Family 'bubbles'
Step two would also allow the creation of 'family bubbles'. The idea is that two branches of a family could be allowed to socialise together, allowing things like grandparents access to see their grandchildren and visa versa.
Sage has been asked to look at ways of making this possible, with more information nearer the time, with the guidance saying: 'The intention of this change would be to allow those who are isolated some more social contact, and to reduce the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions, while continuing to limit the risk of chains of transmission.
'It would also support some families to return to work by, for example, allowing two households to share childcare.'
Further proposals are being looked at for larger groups to gather to allow weddings to go ahead with small congregations.
The return of professional sport
Stage two would also allow for the return of sporting and cultural events, albeit behind closed doors.
A slew of events including Glastonbury, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix have already been cancelled and are unlikely to be resurrected this year.
But the plans to allow 'cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact', would allow professional sports like football, rugby and cricket to resume in early summer.
High Street reopens
This would also coincide with the reopening of the UK high street. Non-essential retailers, who have been closed since March at huge cost to the taxpayer, are expected to open in phases from June 1.
Rather than one flinging open of doors the Government warned it will be done in phases and that bars, pubs and restaurants, and 'personal care' like hairdressers and beauty salons, will remain closed because of the higher risk of infection.
Because of the expected increase in movement during this phase, it will also see more public transport return.
Buses and trains have been operating a limited service since march because demand fell off a cliff.
STEP THREE
Stage three is not expected to come into force until July 4, US Independence Day, at the earliest.
Pubs, restaurant, hairdressers reopen
Plans would include the reopening of businesses that were still closed: pubs, restaurants and hotels, hairdressers and beauty salons, churches and leisure facilities like cinemas,.
But there is still a caveat at this stage that some places will not be able to open.
'Some venues which are, by design, crowded and where it may prove difficult to enact distancing may still not be able to re-open safely at this point, or may be able to open safely only in part,' it warns,
'Nevertheless the Government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows.'
It adds that it will watch places around the world that are already emerging from their lockdown and use them as guide as to how premises could open safely.
But it does raise the possibility that some businesses will potentially still have their doors closed heading in to the autumn, raising the spectre of job losses over the summer.
The new advice to avoid catching coronavirus: Avoid talking face-to-face, wash your clothes regularly and leave your windows open
Britons were today given official guidance on how to stay safe and avoid catching coronavirus when they are out in public.
Ministers have now urged Brits to wear face masks on public transport and in some shops where social distancing is not possible.
And they have advised people to continue washing their hands, work from home if possible and travel by walking or cycling.
The guidelines, part of the government's 50-page exit plan, also recommend Brits wash their clothes regularly and keep their home well ventilated.
In a stark warning to the public, the guidance says: 'It is your responsibility to adopt these principles wherever possible.
'All of us, as customers, visitors, employees or employers, need to make changes to lower the risk of transmission of the virus.'
Here, MailOnline reveals exactly what the new advice is.
The guidelines, part of the government's 50-page exit plan, recommend Brits wash their clothes (left) and hands (right) regularly
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
In its guidance, health chiefs say the risk of infection 'increases the closer you are to another person'.
And they warn that the amount of time you spend in close contact with someone is another crucial risk factor.
For example, the government advice says: 'You are very unlikely to be infected if you walk past another person in the street.'
Public Health England (PHE) recommends that people try to keep at least two metres away from others as a precaution.
The guidance reads: 'The key thing is to not be too close to people for more than a short amount of time, as much as you can.'
KEEP YOUR HANDS AND FACE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE
Keep your hands and face as clean as possible, reads the second section of the new government advice.
In-keeping with its previous message, it says: 'Wash your hands often using soap and water, and dry them thoroughly.
'Use sanitiser where available outside your home, especially as you enter a building and after you have had contact with surfaces.'
And it also says you should stop touching your face, thought to be one of the main ways of catching the SARS-CoV-2 virus - which lives on surfaces.
Britons have also been told to work from home where possible, to minimise the risk of the virus spreading. And the guidance says people should keep their distance from others outside of their household
WORK FROM HOME IF YOU CAN
Many Britons are able to do most or all of their work from home, if they are given by the proper equipment, the guidance says.
The advice reads: 'Your employer should support you to find reasonable adjustments to do this. However, not all jobs can be done from home.'
And it says that people can travel to work, if their workplace is open and it is simply not possible to do their job from home.
AVOID BEING FACE-TO-FACE WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSEHOLD
In a confusing message to the public, the advice says: 'Avoid being face to face with people if they are outside your household.'
It does not confirm whether or not people can finally see their loved ones after seven weeks of lockdown - but suggests it is possible.
The guidance says Britons are more at risk of catching the virus if they are within two metres of someone and have face-to-face contact with them.
This is because respiratory droplets carrying the virus can be released by an infected patient whenever they talk or cough, scientists say.
Instead of talking face-to-face with others, the advice says you should stand side-to-side - such as when you walk with someone.
SPEND LESS TIME WITH PEOPLE AT WORK
For Britons going back to work, the guidance says you should 'reduce the number of people you spend time with in a work setting where you can'.
The advice recommends employers change any shift patterns to match you with the same team each day.
This advice is designed to keep circles of potential contact as small as possible, just in case someone was infected.
It also advises splitting staff up into smaller, contained teams so that people are not unnecessarily exposed to other employees.
'Employers have a duty to assess and manage risks to your safety in the workplace,' it says.
'The Government has issued guidance to help them do this. This includes how to make adjustments to your workplace to help you maintain social distance.
The advice also tells people to open their windows because evidence suggests the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings and outdoors. And Brits have been told to wear a face 'covering' in an enclosed space where social distancing isn't possible
'It also includes guidance on hygiene as evidence suggests that the virus can exist for up to 72 hours on surfaces.
'Frequent cleaning is particularly important for communal surfaces like door handles or lift buttons and communal areas like bathrooms, kitchens and tea points.'
The advice also tells people to open their windows because evidence suggests the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings and outdoors. And Brits have been told to wear a face 'covering' in an enclosed space where social distancing isn't possible
'It also includes guidance on hygiene as evidence suggests that the virus can exist for up to 72 hours on surfaces.
'Frequent cleaning is particularly important for communal surfaces like door handles or lift buttons and communal areas like bathrooms, kitchens and tea points.'
AVOID CROWDS
You can lower the risks of catching or spreading the virus by reducing the number of people you come into close contact with, the guidance says.
This is possible by avoiding rush-hour on public transport, such as before 9am in the morning and at around 5pm each evening.
Officials also say businesses should take reasonable steps to avoid staff gathering in crowds at work.
Firms can do this, the advice says, by allowing the use of 'more entrances and exits and staggering entry and exit where possible'.
WALK OR CYCLE WHERE POSSIBLE
For Britons who have to travel, they are recommended to walk or cycle - as opposed to relying on public transport.
The advice reads: 'If you have to use public transport, you should try and avoid peak times.
'Employers should consider staggering work hours and expanding bicycle storage facilities, changing facilities and car parking to help.'
WASH YOUR CLOTHES REGULARLY
Britons should also wash their clothes regularly, according to the guidance released today.
Studies have shown the virus can survive on fabrics for several days - but often dies after a few hours.
It means people can pick up the killer virus from their clothes and infect themselves, if they touch their face.
The advice also recommends Brits avoid crowding into a changing room if they need to change their clothes at work.
KEEP YOUR HOME AND OFFICE WELL VENTILATED
Buildings should be well ventilated to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the advice also says.
It reads: 'Evidence suggests the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings and outdoors.
'In good weather, try to leave windows and doors open in places where people from different households come into contact – or move activity outdoors if you can.
'Use external extractor fans to keep spaces well ventilated and make sure ventilation systems are set to maximise the fresh air flow rate.'
The advice also states that heating and cooling systems can be used at their normal temperature settings.
WEAR FACE COVERINGS IN AN ENCLOSED SPACE
Brits have now been told to wear a face 'covering' in an enclosed space where social distancing isn't possible.
It means the UK advice is now in line with other European nations and the US, which recommend that masks are worn in public.
Scotland was the first nation in Britain to change its stance on masks, advising that coverings are worn in crowded spaces.
The new guidance says that the advice is most relevant for 'short periods indoors in crowded areas, for example on public transport or in some shops'.
It adds: 'The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are infected but have not developed symptoms.
'If you have symptoms of COVID-19 you and your household should isolate at home: wearing a face covering does not change this.
'A face covering is not the same as the surgical masks or respirators used as part of personal protective equipment by healthcare and other workers.'
Officials said supplies of masks 'should continue to be reserved for those who need them to protect against risks in their workplace', such as NHS workers.
Face coverings should also not be used by children under the age of two, according to the guidance.
It adds: 'It is important to use face coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them off.
'You can make face coverings at home; the key thing is it should cover your mouth and nose.'
Boris's blueprint in full: 50-page document revealing next steps for nation to get out of Covid-19 lockdown
The next phase of the Government's strategy to fight the coronavirus is underway after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed new lockdown measures, as well as a roadmap of how aspects of normal life in the UK could soon be restored.
There has been some confusion from members of the public about what is expected of them in light of the new protocols, which include being allowed to exercise outdoors for an 'unlimited' time, as well as the freedom to sit in parks and play sports - as long as it is with people in your household.
Now the Government have published a full 50-page blueprint to their new plan, entitled Our Plan to Rebuild: The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy.
Here is the entire blueprint, which explains how the country could soon come out of lockdown with various industries and sectors reintroduced, the latest information on face masks, social distancing and testing.
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