Latest updates: education secretary says he wants to give schools and parents two weeks’ notice before schools are reopened
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Boris Johnson has recorded a clip for broadcasters during a visit to Manchester, where he has been inspecting the flood damage. Mostly he was asked about flooding, but in response to a question about coronavirus, he played down the prospect of restrictions starting to lift from late February or March. He also said that the UK was facing “a tough few weeks ahead”.
When the PM announced the lockdown on 4 January, he said the lockdown might start to lift after the February half term. (See 9.05am.) But today, when asked if the lockdown might have to stay in place until the summer rather than until the spring, he replied:
I think it’s too early to say when we’ll be able to lift some of the restrictions.
We’ll look then at how we’re how we’re doing.
But I think what we’re seeing in the ONS data, the React survey (see 10.34am and 11.35am), we’re seeing the contagiousness of the new variants that we saw arrive just before Christmas. There’s no doubt it does spread very fast indeed. It’s not more deadly, but it is much more contagious.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, will hold a press conference in Downing Street this afternoon, No 10 has announced. She will be joined by Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England regional medical director for London.
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