Boris Johnson said the vaccination programme has “dramatically changed the odds in our favour”, but has warned that the tier system could return to England.
The Prime Minister set out his roadmap for getting England out of lockdown in Parliament this afternoon.
The roadmap will be a national approach - but the Prime Minister said regional restrictions could be brought back.
He said: “Finally, we must remain alert to the constant mutations of the virus. Next month we will publish an updated plan for responding to local outbreaks with a range of measures to address variants of concern, including surge PCR testing and enhanced contact tracing.
“We can’t I am afraid rule out re-imposing restrictions at local or regional level if evidence suggests they are necessary to contain or suppress a new variant which escapes the vaccines.”
He continued: “I know there will be many who will be worried that we are being too ambitious and that it is arrogant to impose any kind of plan upon a virus and I agree that we must always be humble in the face of nature and that we must be cautious.
“But I really also believe that the vaccination programme has dramatically changed the odds in our favour, and it is on that basis that we can now proceed.”
