Boris Johnson has warned that it is “too early” to say if England’s coronavirus lockdown will end in the spring, as a leading scientific adviser said it would be unwise to consider reopening pubs and restaurants until May.
Amid signs that severe restrictions could drag into the summer, it was confirmed that June’s Glastonbury festival — the largest arts event of its kind in the world — would be cancelled for the second year in a row.
Although Gavin Williamson, education secretary, said he would “certainly hope” that schools in England would reopen before Easter, Downing Street declined to predict that this would definitely happen.
The prime minister said the government would look at “how we’re doing” when the four top priority groups had been vaccinated. Ministers believe they are on course to complete that task by mid-February.
Scientific advisers are warning Mr Johnson not to repeat the…