Boris Johnson is preparing to set out details of the final step of England’s roadmap out of lockdown.
The PM is expected to announce the next steps on social distancing, face coverings and working from home, as well as on care home visits, during a News conference later.
Step four of the roadmap was delayed last month to no earlier than 19 July.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth urged the government to confirm “what level of mortality and cases of long Covid” it considers acceptable.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own coronavirus rules, and the Scottish government has suggested it may retain some basic measures including masks at its next review in August.
Downing Street said step four would go ahead on 19 July only if the government’s “four tests” for easing curbs had been met.
The verdict on those tests – on the jab rollout, vaccine effectiveness, hospital admissions, and new virus variants – would only be confirmed on 12 July following a review of the latest data, No 10 said.
The findings of reviews on the use of Covid certification – or vaccine passports – and on social-distancing measures are also due to be announced by Mr Johnson today.
