People jog past the ‘The National COVID Memorial Wall’ on the south bank of the Thames in front of St. Thomas’ hospital and opposite the House of Parliament in London, Sunday April 4, 2021. Hearts are being drawn onto the wall in memory of the many thousands of people who have died in the UK from coronavirus, with organizers hoping to reach their target of 150,000 hearts by the middle of next week.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to a DIY shop in Middlesbrough, England, Thursday, April 1, 2021.
Red hearts are painted on the COVID-19 Memorial Wall mourning those who have died, opposite the Houses of Parliament on the Embankment in London, Monday, April 5, 2021. Hearts are being painted onto the wall in memory of the many thousands of people who have died in the UK from coronavirus.
Tourists pose for selfies in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, Monday, April 5, 2021. The British government says all asymptomatic people in England will be able to get two free coronavirus tests per week, starting Friday, as a way to stamp out new outbreaks, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that regular testing would help “stop outbreaks in their tracks.”
People paint red hearts onto the COVID-19 Memorial Wall mourning those who have died, opposite the Houses of Parliament on the Embankment in London, Monday, April 5, 2021. Hearts are being painted onto the wall in memory of the many thousands of people who have died in the UK from coronavirus.
People paint red hearts onto the COVID-19 Memorial Wall mourning those who have died, opposite the Houses of Parliament on the Embankment in London, Monday, April 5, 2021. Hearts are being painted onto the wall in memory of the many thousands of people who have died in the UK from coronavirus.
People paint red hearts onto the COVID-19 Memorial Wall mourning those who have died, along the embankment opposite the Houses of Parliament on the Embankment in London, Monday, April 5, 2021. Hearts are being painted onto the wall in memory of the many thousands of people who have died in the UK from coronavirus.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves, after a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday April 5, 2021.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson pauses, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday April 5, 2021.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives for a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday April 5, 2021.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday April 5, 2021.
People observe coronavirus guidelines as a police car patrols nearby in central London, Monday, April 5, 2021. The British government says all asymptomatic people in England will be able to get two free coronavirus tests per week, starting Friday, as a way to stamp out new outbreaks, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that regular testing would help “stop outbreaks in their tracks.”
From left, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Witty, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance take part in a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London, Monday April 5, 2021.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s slow but steady march out of a three-month lockdown remains on track even as coronavirus cases surge elsewhere in Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday, as he confirmed that businesses from barbers to bookstores will be allowed to reopen next week.
Johnson said it’s too soon to decide, however, whether U.K. residents will be able to have summer trips abroad. He confirmed that the government will test out a contentious “vaccine passport” system — a way for people to offer proof they have protection from COVID-19 — as a tool to help travel and large events return safely.
Four weeks after England took its first step out of lockdown by reopening schools, Johnson said Britain’s vaccination program was proceeding well and infections were falling. He said the next step would come as planned on April 12, with the reopening of hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms, nonessential shops and bar and restaurant patios.
“We set out our road map and we’re sticking to it,” Johnson said during a news conference.
But, he added, “We can’t be complacent. We can see the waves of sickness afflicting other countries, and we’ve seen how this story goes.”
A ban on overnight stays away from home in England will also be lifted April 12, and outdoor venues such as zoos and drive-in cinemas can operate again.
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