Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the Prime Minister would unveil data on the effect of coronavirus jabs on hospital admissions and deaths when announcing the road map.
“Suffice to say the evidence looks good,” he told Sky News.
“The Oxford team demonstrated their own evidence of cutting transmission by two thirds.
“We wouldn’t be in this place this morning to be able to say that we’re going to reopen schools on March 8, and of course, as the school holidays begin on March 29, we will look at the rule of six and two families being (able) to see each other outdoors, if we’re not confident that actually the vaccine programme is beginning to really bear fruit.”
Zahawi said the focus of easing lockdown restrictions is “steady as she goes” as he said there would be an easing of restrictions on outdoor socialising.
Asked if travelling distances to see family would be permitted from March 29, he said: “As long as it’s outdoors, and it is two families, or the rule of six, then that is what will be permitted if the four tests continue to be delivered upon.
“That will be the national lockdown, of course Scotland, as you mentioned, Northern Ireland and Wales will be setting out their own road map towards reopening their economies as well.
“So at the moment, the focus is very much on the steady as she goes. Outdoor versus indoor, priority being children in schools, second priority is obviously allowing two people on March 8 to meet outside for a coffee to address some of the issues around loneliness and of course mental health as well.
“And then the 29th is two families or rule of six coming together and outdoor sporting activities as well.”
Mr Zahawi said the Government would “absolutely” follow the recommendations of the vaccine expert advisory committee when deciding on prioritisation for the second phase of the rollout.
Asked about how the under-50s will be prioritised, he told BBC Breakfast: “The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are looking at that and we will absolutely follow what they recommend.
“The recommendation for phase one has been correct because it’s based on clinical assessment of who is most vulnerable to be hospitalised or have serious infection and sadly death in some cases.
“So we’ll go back to the JCVI and they will make that recommendation and we will follow that recommendation.
