Wirral residents urged caution as the Prime Minister revealed the government’s plan to get life back to normal.
Speaking earlier today, Boris Johnson said English schools will reopen to all pupils on March 8.
The 'rule of six' will return on March 29, with groups of up to six or two households of a larger size being allowed to meet outdoors.
Subsequent stages will see non-essential retail and gyms reopening no sooner than April 12.
Pubs and restaurants can also potentially reopen on this date, albeit only for outdoor service.
Not before May 17, most social contact rules for outdoor meet-ups are expected to be removed, although it will remain illegal to have gatherings of more than 30 people.
Indoor mixing will also be allowed once again, with the Rule of Six in place.
Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to reopen for indoor service, with the Rule of Six in place.
From June 21, Boris Johnson hopes to reopen the final sectors of the economy like nightclubs and remove restrictions on large events and performances.
All live events, like weddings, are expected to have no legal limit.
The majority of those who responded to an ECHO post on the Facebook group The Upton Network supported the government’s gradual easing of restrictions.
One person said: “Totally agree. No point rushing now after we've come so far, [only] to have cases going up again [resulting in] yet another lockdown.
“Lots of people will be frustrated, however it will be so much worse if we go backwards again.”
Another member of the group said: “Totally agree. Want it over but don't want to go into another lockdown at a later date.”
Summing up the sentiments of the group, one member added: “Make it as slow as they like, but make it the last one ever.”
Not everyone in the group agreed, one person pointed out the potential negative impact of an extended period of closure for much of the economy.
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They said the plan was “no good for small businesses”.
Paula Basnett, chief executive of Wirral Chamber of Commerce, backed the government’s plan, but said support must be put in place to prevent a “further decline” in the borough’s economy.
Ms Basnett said: “We welcome the government's four-step plan to release England from lockdown. It provides our business community with an indication as to when they can start planning to reopen.
“The government's vaccination programme is making solid progress which is giving confidence to business leaders - we look forward to seeing the continued rollout of vaccinations over the next few months.
“It is still worth noting that for many businesses restrictions are still in place and will be for months ahead - [the] government must continue to provide sufficient funding and support to our businesses.
“We need this to safeguard jobs, improve business resilience and to save our economy from further decline.”
