Boris Johnson hints England won’t return to regional tiers after lockdown - what he said

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has indicated that England will not return to a system of regional Covid-19 restrictions once the national lockdown comes to an end.

It was expected that regions across England would return to the previous Tier 1 to Tier 4 level restrictions put in place before Christmas, but it is now expected that this system will be scrapped for a more unified approach.

A national approach

Mr Johnson has suggested that a national approach to easing lockdown measures “might be better this time round” than the previously introduced regional tiers.

The government is due to set out its “road map” for the gradual easing of restrictions over the coming months on 22 Feburary, following a review of the current rules.

At the moment, 8 March has been targeted as the earliest possible date for the reopening of schools and to begin easing other measures.

Mr Johsnon said: “It may be that a national approach, going down the tiers in a national way, might be better this time round, given that the disease is behaving much more nationally.