Boris Johnson under pressure to commit to schools in England reopening in March

Boris Johnson is under pressure from Tories not to let the timetable for easing lockdown slip, despite warnings from senior scientists about the dangers still posed by coronavirus.

The speed of the vaccine rollout - with the 15 million people in the four highest priority groups set to have been offered a jab by Monday's target date - has increased pressure on the Prime Minister to commit to the March 8 date for reopening schools, the first relaxation of England's restrictions.

In order to meet the Government's promise of giving teachers, pupils and parents a fortnight to prepare for reopening, Mr Johnson will have to set out his plans on February 22.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). Picture date: Wednesday February 10, 2021. PA Photo. HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit : Steve Reigate/Daily Express/PA Wire

But Downing Street would only commit to saying Mr Johnson will set out his road-map out of the lockdown that week - rather than specifically on the 22nd.

Meanwhile a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned that it was not sensible to set out a road-map at all at the moment.

Wellcome Trust director Sir Jeremy Farrar suggested daily infections needed to fall dramatically before any such move could be considered.

"Transmission is still incredibly high in the UK. If transmission were still at this level and we were not in lockdown, we would be going into lockdown," he told the BBC.

His comments came after another Sage member, Professor John Edmunds, said "we will have to be under some kind of restrictions for some time" until adults had received two vaccine doses.

On Wednesday, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said it was crucial to ease restrictions "cautiously" and rejected the setting of deadlines.

Conservative former minister Steve Baker, deputy chair of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of lockdown-sceptic Tories, said: "Having a full public debate is essential at this time but I fear senior scientists are failing to recognise their power to spread despair and despondency."

He added: "I look forward to the Prime Minister's February 22 roadmap out of restrictions so that we can all reclaim our lives once and for all."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We will look at the data in the round and we will use that to inform the road-map."

Reporting by PA

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