The Prime Minister addressed MPs today on the next stage of the government's plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
With the current national lockdown set to end on December 2 Boris Johnson laid out plans to get the country through the winter period "without the virus spreading out of control and squandering our hard-won gains."
Speaking to the House of Commons via a video link from Downing Street where he remains in self-isolation, he unveiled measures which he said he hoped would protect the NHS and "carry us safely to Spring" when breakthroughs in testing, treatments, and vaccines should "offer a route out of the pandemic."
These are the key points he announced...
National lockdown to end
The current national restrictions end on December 2 and Mr Johnson confirmed that they would not be renewed. From next Wednesday people will be permitted to leave their home for any purpose. However he said this did not mean the status quo or a "free for all."
Tier system to be toughened up
The national lockdown will be replaced by the regional tier system used beforehand. However the Prime Minister said evidence had showed the tier rules used previously did not reduce the 'r rate' enough and "need to be made tougher." He said there would be no negotiation with individual areas, it would be a "uniform set of rules." Which areas are to be placed in each tier will be announced later this week. However he said: "I am sorry to say we expect that more regions will fall into higher levels than before."
The return of the 'rule of six'
During the national lockdown people have been permitted to exercise outdoors with one other person. However from next week, people will be able to meet others in outdoor public spaces, in groups of up to six.
Family bubbles widened
The number of people who can form 'support bubbles' are to be widened.
Previously, just single adults living alone - or single parents whose children are under 18 - could form a support bubble with one other household.
However couples with children under the age of one will be allowed to form a support bubble with another whole household.
The same rule applies if you have a child under five that needs care for a disability.
Restrictions on hospitality
Shops, personal care providers, gyms and the wider leisure sector can reopen in all tiers Mr Johnson said.
Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can also resume.
However restrictions on the hospitality industry are to continue.
In Tier 3 areas all forms of hospitality will have to remain closed, except for delivery and takeaways.
Indoor entertainment venues, hotels and other accommodation will also have to remain shut.
In Tier 2 areas, hospitality businesses may only serve alcohol with a "substantial meal."
Curfew extended
Mr Johnson said that "we have learnt from experience that there are some things we can do differently."
The 10pm curfew for hospitality businesses in areas where they can remain open will be changed with last orders having to be called by 10pm and patrons having to have left and businesses have closed by 11pm.
Christmas won't be normal
"We all want some kind of Christmas, we need it, we certainly feel we deserve it" Mr Johnson said.
However he said: "I can’t say that Christmas will be normal this year."
He said he was working with leaders of the other UK countries on a on "a special, time-limited Christmas dispensation" to restrictions.
However he added "this virus is obviously not going to grant us a Christmas truce" and that families would "need to make a careful judgement about the risk of visiting elderly relatives."
The new rules will last till until the spring
The plan unveiled today was designed to protect the NHS and get us through the winter "without the virus spreading out of control and squandering our hard-won gains."
He said breakthroughs in testing, treatments, and vaccines should offer "a route out of the pandemic" in the coming months.
"By the Spring, these advances should reduce the need for the restrictions we have endured in 2020" he added.
Areas would able to down the tiering scale to lower levels of restrictions he said as the picture improves.
However some restrictions of some form are likely to remain in place until the Spring.
Vaccines will make lockdowns 'obsolete'
The Prime Minister said the "scientific cavalry is now in sight" and that "for the first time since this wretched virus took hold, we can see a route out of the pandemic."
As soon as a vaccine is approved by safely regulators, it would dispensed as quickly as possible he said.
"The NHS is preparing a nationwide immunisation programme, ready next month, the like of which we have never witnessed" he told MPs.
Adding that vaccines, in conjunction with mass testing should make the notion of Covid lockdowns "obsolete" and "redundant" by the Spring.
Mass testing to bring an self-isolation
Until vaccines are approved and can be administered, the Prime Minister said mass testing using rapid 'lateral flow' tests which can give a result as quickly as 30 minutes were a key weapon in the fight against the virus.
He said the government now wants to use them to "end automatic isolation for close contacts of those found positive."
He said a trial was beginning in Liverpool later this week where contacts of those testing positive could be tested every day for a week and would only need to isolate if they tested positive themselves.
If successful, the scheme would extended across the health system from next month, and to the whole of England from January.
