The Government could confirm as soon as the end of this month that social distancing rules will be scrapped entirely, Boris Johnson has suggested.
The Prime Minister hinted a review of social contact restrictions could report back as soon as the end of May - and data suggests even the one-metre-plus rule could be scrapped in June.
Asked if social distancing rules can be scrapped altogether from June 21, Boris Johnson replied: “When it comes to social distancing from June 21.
“I look at the data very carefully and I think at the moment it looks to me as though we may be able to to dispense with the one metre plus rule.
“That’s not yet decided, it’s not yet clear, we’ll have to wait and see.
“But it’s by being prudent and being cautious that we’ve been able to make the progress that we have.
“We’ll be saying more to everybody, more to business to give everybody as much clarity as we can about how they should prepare, by the end of this month getting ready for June 21.”
The Government is reviewing social contact rules ahead of the country moving into step four of the Covid-19 roadmap - which will happen no earlier than June 21.
Official guidance states that by this date, “the government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact.”
And a document outlining the parameters of the review states: “The review is looking at key baseline measures, including how and when to safely lift or amend the 1m+ rule and related COVID-secure measures, as well as guidance on working from home."
It adds: “It is also looking at what guidance can be provided to enable individuals to take informed personal choices.
“The conclusion will depend on the latest data and evidence on the state of the pandemic and the impact of vaccine effectiveness, as the country progresses through the roadmap.”
