Lockdown exit must be 'irreversible', says Johnson

British government plans to reopen the economy will be "gradual" and moving England out of COVID-19 lockdown must be "cautious but irreversible", Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

Speaking at a news conference, he urged the public of the United Kingdom to "be both optimistic but also patient" and confirmed that next Monday, he would set out plans on how the restrictions will be eased.

However, he also said he could not guarantee the current lockdown would be the "last ever".

"I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to go ahead and open things up, but to say I can give an absolute cast-iron guarantee that we won't face further difficulties and have to think harder and deeper about some problems, no, at this stage I can't," he said.

The prime minister's words dampened hopes measures might be relaxed in time for Easter family gatherings.

He said: "Next week I'll be setting out a roadmap saying as much as we possibly can about the route to normality, even though some things are very uncertain.

"Because we want this lockdown to be the last, and we want progress to be cautious, but also irreversible."

Elsewhere, in an interview on United States television, Johnson said: "What people want to see is clarity about the way forward, and taking steps to unlock, which you don't then have to reverse."

The UK's hotel quarantine regime for arrivals from the so-called red list of 33 countries has begun, but according to the Daily Telegraph, the list will need to be extended, with more countries now showing cases of mutant strains of the virus.

Currently the list mainly consists of nations in southern Africa and South America, but the paper suggests there are now 33 more countries reporting variant cases, including Belgium and Austria.

The Telegraph quoted a senior airport source as saying the red list "is going to get longer before it gets shorter."

The source said: "The government does seem to be fixated on the idea of quarantining against variants.

"Given the scientific argument is that border controls are more important the fewer cases we have, there is danger we end up in a position like New Zealand. They have low prevalence but there is a real debate and fear about reopening. They have no exit strategy."

This comes as the vaccine rollout minister said more than 15 million people have now been given their first jab, and that supplies would increase as over-50s are next in line, and the most vulnerable groups begin to receive their second jabs.

Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News there would be more supplies in March and April, with "tens of millions of doses coming through".

He added: "I'm confident we'll hit our target, which is about 32 million people who have at least one dose, and of course those who need the second dose will have that as well by the end of April."

The Financial Times reported that rapid coronavirus testing for the entertainment industry is being considered, to allow mass gatherings such as concerts to resume.

The paper quoted a government insider who said the plans were being made for when the economy reopens. However, the report noted that lateral flow tests have been "plagued by doubts over their accuracy" and quoted a person working on the plans as saying "it's not going to be perfect, we can't provide total assurance."

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was expected to announce that some pupils would start to return to classrooms next week.

It said that under the plans, all children in early learning and childcare would return, and also those in the senior phase of secondary school.

The Daily Mail said the move would "heap pressure" on Johnson to confirm classes in England will begin again on March 8.