PM Boris Johnson announces plans to reopen shops, pubs in England from April 12

As the UK battles the virus, PM Boris Johnson urged citizens to get vaccinated while directing them not to be complacent as the prime minister announced plans to relax restrictions as he unveiled a roadmap to gradually reopen England from April 12.

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"We have seen how the story goes, we still don't know the vaccine shield will be," the British PM said, adding,"Please get your vaccine when your turn comes."

Johnson while asserting a cautious approach said: "We set out our roadmap and we are sticking to it. We see nothing in the present data that we have to deviate from the current plan."

The United Kingdom had set a tentative date of May 17 to relaunch foreign travel programme after being on a strict lockdown for most parts of the year.

Johnson said the public's patience is "paying off" and England can now move to step two of the roadmap out of lockdown on April 12 while encouraging the public to take tests from local test sites.

From April 12, non-essential shops and close-contact services such as hairdressers and barbers can reopen, and restaurants and pubs can start serving customers outdoors.

Gyms and spas can also reopen, including zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres. However, outdoor gatherings will still be limited to six people or two households and socialising is still not allowed with people who don't live together. 

According to the new rule, weddings can be attended by up to 15 people and members of the same household can take a holiday in England in self-contained accommodation.

Children can also attend indoor children's activity, including sports. The government has however asked people to work from home whenever required and minimise domestic travel. International holidays is still deemed illegal.

"A great deal depends on the success of the vaccine, if things continue to go well, for many people in many ways might get some semblance of normality," Johnson said, adding,"But we still need a lot of data. We need to make sure we get through stage 2 right, get through the 12 openings and then June 21, we finally open up that we couldn't last year we got to be very cautious."