| UPDATED: 09:30, Thu, Mar 4, 2021
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On February 22, Boris Johnson announced his roadmap to gradually easing lockdown restrictions in England, providing a much-needed boost and a huge sign of relief to 57 million people throughout the country. But worrying scenes over recent days have shown a return of Covidiots gathering closely in large groups and subsequently breaking the rules - potentially putting at risk all the hard work during lockdown over the last three months. Restrictions introduced on January 4 ban people
EDUCATION Secretary Gavin Williamson is looking at extending the school year this summer to give pupils who have missed out during the pandemic a chance to catch up on learning.
LOCKDOWN restrictions could be lifted in March if Britain s vaccination programme stays on track. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that easing measures will not happen in one big bang, instead insisting they will be phased out in individual regions.
Doctors have warned the new strain is highly transmissable (Image: PA)
The Imperial College virologist said both Brazilian variants - one of which was detected by travellers in Japan and the other which is more prevalent in Brazil - had mutations that suggest they might impact the way that some people s antibodies can see the virus .
She said: It is really important that we carry out this work now, and carry it out carefully, and in several different laboratories, to really firm up those results because they have big implications.
The appearance of the Brazilian coronavirus strain comes as travellers from across South America were banned from entering the UK.