Boris Johnson is poised to announce some Easter Monday good news, with home and away lockdown-easing moves as part of his COVID roadmap to freedom.
At home, he is launching nine "vaccine passport" pilots from mid-April, including three football showpieces at Wembley, and four night-time entertainment trials in Liverpool.
And away, he is preparing for foreign holidays to go ahead this summer, with a "traffic light" system of rules in which travel to "green light" destinations will not require quarantine.
Whether countries are red, amber or green, however, will depend on their vaccination and COVID-19 infection rates.
And the government is still saying: Don't book a holiday abroad just yet.
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Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has also given a strong signal that vaccine passports are on the way, based on a scheme used in Israel.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, he says: "Vaccination is a hugely powerful tool, but it can never provide 100% protection. That is why we need to look at every option potentially available to ensure the fastest, safest and most sustainable road back to normality."
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Mr Gove adds: "Given the hit the night-time economy and the entertainment sector has taken over the last year, anything which might help businesses re-open sooner must be worth considering.
"The Israeli approach involves a smartphone app and the NHS app could serve a similar purpose here."
The Wembley pilots will be the Leicester City/Southampton FA Cup semi-final on 18 April, the Carabao Cup Final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on 25 April, and the FA Cup Final on 15 May.
The Liverpool trials will be at the Hot Water Comedy Club on 16 April, the Luna Cinema from 23-25 April, a business event at the ACC conference centre on 28 April, and the Circus Nightclub from 30 April to 1 May.
The other trials are the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre from 17 April - 3 May, and a mass participation run at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, 24-25 April.
"We have made huge strides over the past few months with our vaccine programme and everyone in the country has made huge sacrifices to get us to this stage in our recovery from COVID-19," the prime minister said.
"We are doing everything we can to enable the reopening of our country so people can return to the events, travel and other things they love as safely as possible, and these reviews will play an important role in allowing this to happen."
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PM confirms role for 'certification'
Though Mr Johnson rejects the term "vaccine passports", on the Bank Holiday he will announce a system for "COVID-status certification" which could allow people to return to top-level sport, theatres and other public events.
He will say that over the coming months a system will be developed which will take into account three factors: vaccination, a recent negative test, or natural immunity determined on the basis of a positive test taken in the previous six months.
Businesses opening on 12 April, however, including pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops, will not be required to introduce certification, the government is emphasising.
But there is strong opposition to "vaccine passports" from many MPs. This weekend a cross-party group of 72 MPs signed a pledge opposing the scheme, which they claim is "divisive and discriminatory".
If the plan requires legislation, the government may try to win over the rebels by promising them it will be temporary, perhaps for no more than a year.
Image:Three 'vaccine passport' pilots are being held at Wembley
The government says certification is expected to be most useful in managing risks where large numbers of people are in close proximity, at mass events such as festivals, sports matches and nightclubs.
At the same time, certification will not be used on public transport and in essential shops. There will also be exemptions for people for whom vaccination is not advised and repeat testing would be difficult.
But for the rest it will be a smartphone app or paper certificate. The government says the NHS is working on providing individuals with a means to demonstrate their COVID status through digital and non-digital routes.
On overseas travel, Mr Johnson will say the government wants to see a safe return, but it is crucial the cautious approach continues in light of third waves in some countries and the risk posed by variants of concern.
Sticking to the prime minister's roadmap timetable, international travel will not be allowed until 17 May at the earliest, and the "Stay in the UK" regulation remains in place.
Downing Street says it will be confirmed in advance whether leisure travel can resume on 17 May, or whether travellers will need to wait longer before lifting the outbound travel restriction.
Image:There will be four night-time entertainment trials in Liverpool
As widely predicted in recent days, when "Stay in the UK" is removed it will be replaced by a risk-based "traffic light" system with red, amber and green ratings.
The government claims this will help ensure the UK's vaccine progress is not jeopardised and provide clear guidance for travellers.
There will be no isolation requirement for travel from countries in the new "green" category, although pre-departure and post-arrival tests will still be needed.
The "red" and "amber" restrictions would remain as they are now, with the requirement to enter quarantine or self-isolation upon return.
The government says it will continue to monitor the risks posed by individual countries and consider a range of factors to inform the restrictions placed on them.
This will include the percentage of their population they have vaccinated, the rate of infection in the country, any emerging coronavirus variants, and the country's access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.
Ministers say it is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer and decisions will be driven by the evidence available at the time. Therefore the government is continuing to advise people not to book summer holidays abroad.
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'I'll be going to the pub in a few days'
The prime minister is also expected to confirm that a social distancing review is considering the safest approach to allow closer contact between friends and families, safely enable greater capacity on transport, and reduce distancing requirements within venues and workplaces.
This includes how and when the government can safely lift the 1m+ rule and its working from home guidance. Both Mr Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have over the past week spoken of their wish to see people return to work in the office.
The questions being explored in the social distancing review, according to ministers, link to the outcomes of the certification review, including whether it could facilitate changes to social distancing.
So vaccine passports, however unpopular, could eventually lead to relaxation of social distancing in pubs and restaurants and a return to queueing at the bar.
Mr Johnson will study the feedback to help decide how to manage other large-scale gatherings as restrictions are lifted.
The PM said: “We are doing everything we can to enable the reopening of our country so people can return to the events, travel and other things they love as safely as possible, and these reviews will play an important role in allowing this to happen.”
Liverpool will be a key test centre for the opening up of the rest of the country — with four pilot events being held at a comedy club, a cinema, a nightclub and a business conference arena from next week.
The World Snooker Championship in Sheffield and a mass participation run at Hatfield, Herts, are also involved.
Scientific advisers will use evidence from the nine pilots to assess transmission risks in different settings.
An insider said: “These events will not only be used to try out the new Covid passport.
Landlords can reopen outdoors-only a week tomorrow in England and will soon be free to admit anyone who follows existing guidelines on social distancing and mask-wearingCredit: Getty
"We’ll have lots of eyes and ears and systems gathering a mass of data.
"What we learn in the next few weeks will be crucial to how we proceed into step three of the unlocking process on May 17.”
A review of social distancing will address a looming decision — how and when the one-metre rule and working for home guidance can safely be lifted.
Boris Johnson to make 4 big Covid announcements on holidays, vaccine passports, lockdown and social distancing on Monday
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A year ago this week Boris Johnson was in intensive care fighting for his life with the coronavirus. But visit No 10 today and the only clue is to be found on the prime minister’s desk at lunchtime. “The evidence is the plate of salad,” says a horrified aide. “It’s just a pile of green stuff. Big plates of leaves.”
When Johnson emerged from St Thomas’s Hospital in south London he became an advocate for weight loss, telling aides: “Don’t be a fatty in your fifties.” One year on there is an Easter egg ban in the Johnson household. “That experience has spilled over into policy,” says the aide. “We’ve done a big push on obesity. He’s been very disciplined with his diet. He’s out
Twenty-six people have been arrested after clashes between police and demonstrators at a "Kill the Bill" protest in central London, during which 10 officers were injured.
Projectiles were thrown as police pushed protesters away, and dozens of extra officers were brought in to help unblock the road for a McDonald's lorry held up outside parliament.
The Metropolitan Police said the number of arrests could yet increase, with the operation having seen 10 officers suffer non-serious injuries.
Image:Demonstrators clashed with police outside parliament
Commander Ade Adelekan, who led the policing operation, said: "The vast majority of people who turned out in central London today did so while adhering to social distancing. They engaged with my officers when required and left when asked - I would like to thank them for doing so.
"However, a small minority did not engage despite the repeated efforts of officers on the ground. This left us with no option but to move to an enforcement stage and arrests have been made.
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"This has been another challenging day for officers on the ground and I want to thank them for their efforts throughout the course of today.
"We remain in the middle of a global pandemic and we have made great progress in controlling the spread of the virus; we will not allow the selfish actions of a small number of people to put Londoners progress in jeopardy."
More from Kill The Bill Protests
Organisers had reminded demonstrators to stay socially distanced as crowds grew to more than 300, and speeches were made opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Several women addressed the crowd and shared personal experiences of suffering abuse, while many others carried anti-sexism placards and chanted "women scared everywhere, police and government do not care".
Image:Ten officers were injured in the scuffles
The heated scenes in Parliament Square came amid otherwise peaceful demonstrations across the country over the proposed crime legislation, which opponents fear will limit their right to protest.
Saturday has seen protests not just in the capital, but also in Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Brighton, despite ongoing lockdown restrictions.
More than 1,000 people gathered in Bristol for what was the fifth Kill the Bill demonstration in the city centre in the last two weeks.
Yesterday, Ryan Paul Roberts, 25, was charged with attempted arson with intent to endanger life after an enflamed item was placed under an occupied police van outside Bristol's Bridewell Police Station during a protest on 21 March.
Image:Protests also took place in Bristol
In Manchester, people were seen sitting on tram tracks before police moved in.
Greater Manchester Police had previously issued a 48-hour dispersal notice for those engaging in anti-social behaviour.
The protestors have been demonstrating against proposed changes to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The changes would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including for being too noisy or a nuisance, with fines or jail terms for those convicted.
Image:Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the demonstration
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the gathering in central London today.
He described the bill as a "very dangerous, slippery slope" and defended the right to protest.
"If we don't protest, things don't change," he said, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd.
At least one officer has been injured after clashes between police and demonstrators at a "Kill the Bill" protest in central London.
Projectiles were thrown as police pushed protesters away and at least one officer was injured in the scuffle.
Dozens of extra officers were brought in to help unblock the road for a McDonald's lorry held up outside parliament - and one man was seen being taken away by the police.
Image:At least one officer has been injured
Organisers reminded demonstrators to stay socially distanced as crowds grew to more than 300, and speeches were made opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Several women addressed the crowd and shared personal experiences of suffering abuse, while many others carried anti-sexism placards and chanted "women scared everywhere, police and government do not care".
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The heated scenes in Parliament Square came amid otherwise peaceful demonstrations across the country over the proposed crime legislation, which opponents fear will limit their right to protest.
Saturday has seen protests not just in the capital, but also in Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Brighton, despite ongoing lockdown restrictions.
More from Kill The Bill Protests
More than 1,000 people gathered in Bristol for what was the fifth Kill the Bill demonstration in the city centre in the last two weeks.
Yesterday, Ryan Paul Roberts, 25, was charged with attempted arson with intent to endanger life after an enflamed item was placed underneath an occupied police van outside Bristol's Bridewell Police Station during a protest on 21 March.
Image:Protests in Bristol today
In Manchester, people were seen sitting on tram tracks before police moved in.
Greater Manchester Police had previously issued a 48-hour dispersal notice for those engaging in anti-social behaviour.
The protestors have been demonstrating against proposed changes to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The changes would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including for being too noisy or a nuisance, with fines or jail terms for those convicted.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the gathering in central London today.
He described the bill as a "very dangerous, slippery slope" and defended the right to protest.
"If we don't protest, things don't change," he said, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd.
Image:Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the demonstration
A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: "The majority of people at today's events in central London have tried to adhere to social distancing and COVID legislation.
"A small minority are blocking the road at Parliament Square. Officers are on scene engaging and encouraging them to move so we can reopen the roads."
At least one officer has been injured after clashes between police and demonstrators at a "Kill the Bill" protest in central London.
Projectiles were thrown as police pushed protesters away and at least one officer was injured in the scuffle .
Dozens of extra officers were brought in to help unblock the road for a McDonald's lorry held up outside parliament - and one man was seen being taken away by the police.
Image:At least one officer has been injured
The heated scenes in Parliament Square came amid otherwise peaceful demonstrations across the country over the proposed crime legislation, which opponents fear will limit their right to protest.
Saturday has seen protests not just in the capital, but also in Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol and Brighton, despite ongoing lockdown restrictions.
Advertisement
More than 1,000 people gathered in Bristol for the fifth Kill the Bill demonstration in the city centre in the last two weeks.
Yesterday, Ryan Paul Roberts, 25, was charged with attempted arson with intent to endanger life after an item on fire was placed underneath an occupied police van outside Bristol's Bridewell Police Station during the protest on 21 March.
More from Kill The Bill Protests
In Manchester, people were seen sitting on tram tracks before police moved in.
Greater Manchester Police had previously issued a 48-hour dispersal notice for those engaging in anti-social behaviour.
The protestors have been demonstrating against proposed changes to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The changes would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including for being too noisy or a nuisance, with fines or jail terms for those convicted.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the gathering in central London today.
He described the bill as a "very dangerous, slippery slope," and defended the right to protest.
"If we don't protest, things don't change," he said, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd.
Image:Jeremy Corbyn spoke at the demonstration
A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: "The majority of people at today's events in central London have tried to adhere to social distancing and COVID legislation.
"A small minority are blocking the road at Parliament Square. Officers are on scene engaging and encouraging them to move so we can reopen the roads."
