BRITAIN’S Coronavirus laws will have to be reviewed every FOUR weeks from now on – so Brits will face longer a wait for lifting lockdown rules.
Matt Hancock announced the changes today, which will mean the strict lockdown laws will be in place for slightly longer.
Previously they were reviewed every 21 days, but now that will be extended to every 28 days.
In a written statement to MPs today, the Health Secretary said that he needed more time to look at whether easing any lockdown measures would have had an impact on the rate of transmission.
The extra week will give more time to study the effects of changing the rules, and to make sure the R doesn’t go above one.
He said: “To ensure that we are making future decisions about the lockdown at the right time, the maximum review period will change from 21 days to 28 days.
“This will allow decisions to align more closely with the period of time necessary to assess the impact of previous changes on key data feeds, including the R rate.
“The Government will also keep all the measures under continual review and will account to Parliament on an ongoing basis.”
The change means that the next lockdown review is expected to be now on June 25, instead.
And it will also mean that there are only three chances left for Brits to get the green light for a summer break – before the end of the school holidays.
Last week Boris Johnson announced that he would lift some lockdown measures.
People in England can now meet in groups of up to six – as long as they are outside.
Schools opened their doors to more pupils yesterday, alongside outdoor markets and car showrooms.
More kids are set to return to the classrooms in the coming weeks, and non-essential retail shops are set to open again from June 15 too.
From July more rules are set to be relaxed, including the possibility that restaurants and pubs will be allowed to reopen.
Hairdressers, hotels and other outlets are also pinning their hopes on a late summer opening.
But today the PM’s spokesperson insisted that any lifting of lockdown rules is still dependent on how the country is doing in its battle against the virus at the time.
The Government has said it’s not afraid to put in place local lockdowns if new outbreaks flare up.
And Boris Johnson could put in a UK-wide shutdown again if cases rise across the country.
However, Mr Hancock has insisted the UK’s new test and trace system will be efficient in tracking down every new case of the bug.
Anyone who tests positive will be asked to hand over the phone numbers of people they have been in recent contact with.
They will then be asked to isolate themselves for 14 days to make sure they don’t pass on the bug to any more people.
