Boris Johnson will unveil his long-awaited plan to ease lockdown rules in England this afternoon. After spending the weekend poring over the latest data, the Prime Minister will reveal his "roadmap" out of the restrictions in the Commons at 3.30pm, followed by a TV address at around 7pm.
Some lessons will have been taken from the exit from the first lockdown last summer. But this time around we have a new weapon in our arsenal - the vaccine - and ministers are praying that data will show it is having an impact on the spread of the virus and the severity of cases.
Ahead of the statement, Mr Johnson said he would move "cautiously", unlocking the country in stages. The roadmap will be split into four stages, with the first - in March -