Michael Gove has suggested the current national lockdown could last until at least March, despite Boris Johnson suggesting last night coronavirus restrictions could be eased from the middle of February.
The Cabinet Office minister gave no firm date but said the country was in for a “very difficult” few weeks after the PM announced a full national lockdown on Monday evening.
Speaking to Sky News, Gove said: “We will keep these constantly under review but you are absolutely right, we can’t predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing February 15-22.
“What we will be doing is everything that we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated, so that we can begin to progressively lift restrictions.
“I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all.”
He said the government would “be able to review the progress that we’ve made on February 15, just before the traditional school half-term”.
He added: “We hope that we will be able to progressively lift restrictions after that but what I can’t do is predict – nobody can predict – with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when.”
The comments are more pessimistic than those Johnson made on Monday night when he suggested England could “steadily” move out of lockdown from mid-February but refused to commit to a timetable.
Saying the country was entering “the last phase of the struggle”, the prime minister added: “If our understanding of the virus doesn’t change dramatically, once again, if the rollout of the vaccine programme continues to be successful, if deaths start to fall as the vaccine takes effect and – critically – if everyone plays their part by following the rules, then I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half-term and starting cautiously to move regions down the tiers.”
The new measures will see the whole of England placed under tougher restrictions.
People can now only leave their home for one of five reasons:
- To go to work if it is impossible to work from home, such as in construction or if they are critical workers
- To shop for necessities
- To exercise locally. This can be either with members of their household or support bubble, or with one person from one other household. Socialising outdoors is banned
- To provide care or help to a vulnerable person
- To attend a medical appointment, seek healthcare, or flee harm such as domestic abuse
All non-essential retail, hospitality and personal care services, such as salons and hairdressers, will also be ordered to close.
Parliament will be recalled so MPs can vote on the measures but Johnson made clear that the situation was so grave that the public should obey the regulations immediately, even though they will not be law until Wednesday.
People who are clinically vulnerable should stay at home and only leave for medical appointments and exercise, the PM also said.
“I know how tough this is, and I know how frustrated you are and I know you have had more than enough of government guidance about defeating this virus, but now, more than ever, we must pull together,” he said.