It could be costly, it is the Czech Republic on the break. Its heartbreak for scotland at hampden park as they lose their opening match of the european championship. Its disappointment for the tartan army after a 23 year wait to watch their team at a major tournament. And coming up on the bbc news channel. Denmarks players share a smile and a laugh with christian eriksen. The midfielder� s recovering in hospital after suffering a Cardiac Arrest in their opening euro 2020 game. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. In the next few minutes the Prime Minister is due to speak about the next stage of Easing Restrictions in england. Well bring you his announcement live from Downing Street as soon as it starts. Its thought the current rules are likely to remain in place for another four weeks from june the 21st. That was the day when all restrictions were due to be lifted. Whats changed is the rise in cases thanks to the Delta Variant that was first identified in india. While were waiting for the Prime Minister, lets go to westminster now, and speak to our Political Editor laura kuenssberg. Very difficult decision for the pm, balancing Public Safety versus the needs of business. Thats right, fiona. It is a real dilemma. This is a decision that the Prime Minister will have been very, very reluctant to take. You know, the road map as it is known, the government plan, was always designed to let one set of restrictions, then give a period of time to see what happened with the disease before then, lifting another set of restrictions, and then having another pause to see whether or not cases started to creep up again. But since the last set of restrictions were rolled back, we all know what has happened. Cases have been starting to accelerate again, quite quickly, even though the numbers are still small, with the emergence of that new Delta Variant that emerged first in india. An increasing concern in the last couple of weeks about how the disease may be taking off again, that has led, we understand, to Downing Street making a decision that they will be a pause of some description, probably something around the area of four weeks. Remember, we are in a very different situation now to those previous moments like this, when the Prime Minister has come to the public with something that is going to be hard to hear. Of course, tens of millions of people have now been vaccinated. Nearly everybody he was particularly vulnerable has had the jab. But we understand what the government is expecting to announce any minute now is to give more time to get the vaccine going and to protect more people. Borisjohnson has just walked onto the podium. Lets listen into number 10. When we set out on our road map to freedom a few months ago, we were determined to make progress that was cautious, but irreversible. Step by step, thanks to the enormous efforts of the british people and the Spectacular Vaccine Roll out, we now have one of the most open economies and societies in europe. As we have always known, and as the february road map explicitly predicted, this opening up, over the last three steps, has inevitably been accompanied by more infection and more hospitalisation. Because we must be clear that we cannot simply eliminate covid. We must learn to live with it. And with every day that goes by, we are better protected by the vaccines, and we are better able to live with the disease. Vaccination greatly reduces transmission, and two doses provide a very high degree of protection against serious illness and death. But there are still millions of younger adults who have not been vaccinated, and, sadly, a proportion of the elderly and vulnerable may still succumb, even if they have had two jabs. And that is why we are so concerned by the Delta Variant that is now spreading faster than the third wave that was predicted in the february road map. We are seeing cases growing by about 64 per week. And in the worst affected areas, it is doubling every week. And the average number of people being admitted to hospital in england has increased by 50 , week on week, and by 61 in the north west, which may be the shape of things to come. Because we know the remorseless logic of exponential growth. And evenif logic of exponential growth. And even if the link between infection and hospitalisation has been weakened, it hasnt been severed. And even if the link between hospitalisation and death has also been weakened, im afraid numbers in intensive care, in icu, are also rising. And so, we have obviously faced a very difficult choice. We can simply keep going, with all of Step Four Onjune the 21st, even though there is a real possibility that the virus will outrun the vaccines, and that thousands more deaths would ensue that could otherwise have been avoided. Or else we could give the nhs a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them. And since today i cannot say that we have met all of our four tests for proceeding with Step Four Onjune tests for proceeding with step four on june the tests for proceeding with Step Four Onjune the 21st, i think it is sensible to waitjust a little longer. By monday the 19th ofjuly, we will aim to have double jabbed two thirds of the Adult Population, including everyone over 50, all of the vulnerable, all Front Line Health and care workers and everyone over a0 who received their first dose by mid may. And to do this we will now accelerate the second jabs for those over a0, just as we did for those over a0, just as we did for the vulnerable groups, so they get the maximum protection, as fast as possible. And we will bring forward our target to give every aduu forward our target to give every adult in this country a first dose by the 19th ofjuly. That is including young people over the age of 18, with 23 and 2a year olds invited to bookjabs from tomorrow. So, we reduce the risk of transmission amongst the groups that makes the most. And to give the nhs that extra time, we will hold off step four openings untiljuly the 29th, except for weddings, that can still go ahead, with more than 30 guests, provided social distancing remains in place, and the same will apply to wales. And we will continue to pilot events such as euro 2020 and some theatrical performances. We will monitor the position every day, and if, after two weeks, we have concluded that the risk has diminished, then we reserve the possibility of proceeding to step four and a full opening sooner. As things stand, and on the evidence that i can see right now, i am confident that we will not need more than four weeks, and we will not need to go beyond July The 19th. It is unmistakably clear the vaccines are working, and the sheer scale of the vaccine roll out has made our position incomparably better than in previous waves. But now is the time to ease off the accelerator. Because by being cautious now, we have the chance, in the next four weeks, to save many thousands of lives by vaccinating millions more people. And once the adults of this company have been overwhelmingly vaccinated, which is what we can achieve in a short space of time, we will be in a far stronger position to keep hospitalisations down, to live with this disease and to complete our cautious, but irreversible road map to freedom. Thank you very much, i am now going to hand over to chris to do the slides. To do the slides. Thank you, first slide, to do the slides. Thank you, first slide. Please to do the slides. Thank you, first slide, please. The to do the slides. Thank you, first slide, please. The slides to do the slides. Thank you, first slide, please. The slides are slide, please. The slides are arranged slide, please. The slides are arranged around the four tests which ministers arranged around the four tests which ministers set at the beginning of the Road Ministers Set at the beginning of the road map. The first test is that the road map. The first test is that the vaccine the road map. The first test is that the Vaccine Deployment Programme continue the Vaccine Deployment Programme continue successfully. And i think everybody continue successfully. And i think everybody in the country knows that both first everybody in the country knows that both first vaccinations and, increasingly rapidly, second vaccinations are progressing very effectively, thanks to the work of the nhs effectively, thanks to the work of the nhs volunteers and many others. So this the nhs volunteers and many others. So this test the nhs volunteers and many others. So this test has been met, and we expect so this test has been met, and we expect the so this test has been met, and we expect the rates to continue to be good, expect the rates to continue to be good, as expect the rates to continue to be good, as the Prime Minister has laid out. Good, as the Prime Minister has laid out next good, as the Prime Minister has laid out. Next slide, please. The second test was out. Next slide, please. The second test was that evidence shows that the vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated. We have already shown data that vaccinated. We have already shown data that for previous variants this was true data that for previous variants this was true. We now have data, and some more was true. We now have data, and some more has was true. We now have data, and some more has been released by Public Health more has been released by Public Health england today, which shows data around the new Delta Variant. What data around the new Delta Variant. What has data around the new Delta Variant. What has been talked about in the press, what has been talked about in the press, for what has been talked about in the press, for people who have got symptomatic disease, one dose of the vaccine symptomatic disease, one dose of the vaccine does provide some protection, but you do need two doses protection, but you do need two doses of protection, but you do need two doses of the vaccine to provide a strong doses of the vaccine to provide a strong degree of protection. But once strong degree of protection. But once you strong degree of protection. But once you have two doses, there is somewhere once you have two doses, there is somewhere between a 76 and 84 reduction somewhere between a 76 and 84 reduction in symptom attic disease. Next slide. Reduction in symptom attic disease. Next slide, please. The news is even better next slide, please. The news is even better for next slide, please. The news is even better for the protection that these vaccines better for the protection that these vaccines provide for people against severe vaccines provide for people against severe disease. And in terms of hospitalisations, the data so far, reaiiife hospitalisations, the data so far, real life data from here in the uk, shows real life data from here in the uk, shows that real life data from here in the uk, shows that there is a very good Reduction Shows that there is a very good reduction in hospitalisations from the new reduction in hospitalisations from the new Delta Variant, after both one and the new Delta Variant, after both one and two doses of the vaccines. So, one and two doses of the vaccines. So. After one and two doses of the vaccines. So, after one dose, between a 57 and 85 reduction, and after two doses, somewhere 85 reduction, and after two doses, somewhere between 85 and 98 reduction somewhere between 85 and 98 reduction in hospitalisations. So not complete protection, but very substantial protection. Again, it reinforces substantial protection. Again, it reinforces the absolute need to get the second dose of the vaccine. In terms the second dose of the vaccine. In terms of the second dose of the vaccine. In terms of if the second dose of the vaccine. In terms of if this dose is effective, the data terms of if this dose is effective, the data is terms of if this dose is effective, the data is very encouraging indeed. Next siide. The data is very encouraging indeed. Next slide, please. And if you see the effect next slide, please. And if you see the effect of this on people being hospitalised, whereas in the previous hospitalised, whereas in the previous waves we had in the uk, the great previous waves we had in the uk, the great majority of those hospitalised were older, over 65 citizens. Although were older, over 65 citizens. Although there were significant numbers of people under 65. I think sometimes numbers of people under 65. I think sometimes it is not appreciated, on the left sometimes it is not appreciated, on the left. What we now have is that the left. What we now have is that the majority of those going into hospital the majority of those going into hospital are now from younger groups. Hospital are now from younger groups, under 65. Partly because this is groups, under 65. Partly because this is the groups, under 65. Partly because this is the group in which this is spreading. This is the group in which this is spreading, and it always starts spreading, and it always starts spreading and the youngest groups, but largely we think because the vaccines but largely we think because the vaccines are providing a lot of protection now for older citizens. But It Protection now for older citizens. But it is protection now for older citizens. But it is not protection now for older citizens. But it is not complete. As you can see, but it is not complete. As you can see, even but it is not complete. As you can see, even in but it is not complete. As you can see, even in those over 65, in which doubie see, even in those over 65, in which double vaccination is already in place. Double vaccination is already in place, there are still some hospitalisations. But the ratios have hospitalisations. But the ratios have completely reversed. Next siide. Have completely reversed. Next slide, please. The third test is that slide, please. The third test is that Infection Rates do not risk a surge that Infection Rates do not risk a surge in that Infection Rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the nhs would put unsustainable pressure on the nhs. The rates of hospitalisations at the moment are low, in hospitalisations at the moment are low, in all hospitalisations at the moment are low, in all parts of the country. But, low, in all parts of the country. But, and low, in all parts of the country. But, and this is the important part of this but, and this is the important part of this test. But, and this is the important part of this test, what we are seeing is a rapid of this test, what we are seeing is a rapid rise. Of this test, what we are seeing is a rapid rise, particularly market where a rapid rise, particularly market where it a rapid rise, particularly market where it was first really started in the north west of the country, but the north west of the country, but the rest the north west of the country, but the rest of the north west of the country, but the rest of the country is following. So, there has been a 6a increase following. So, there has been a 6a increase since last week, in terms of the increase since last week, in terms of the north west. You can see that in the of the north west. You can see that in the dark of the north west. You can see that In The Dark Blue colour here, and a 64 In The Dark Blue colour here, and a 6a increase in england. On that rate witt 6a increase in england. On that rate will follow, we think, where the north west has led. Now, these numbers the north west has led. Now, these numbers are the north west has led. Now, these numbers are still relatively small. If numbers are still relatively small. If you numbers are still relatively small. If you are numbers are still relatively small. If you are doubling from 50 to 100, 100 to if you are doubling from 50 to 100, 100 to 200, if you are doubling from 50 to 100, 100 to 200, the numbers are still relatively 100 to 200, the numbers are still relatively modest compared to the capacity relatively modest compared to the capacity of the nhs. But several doubting capacity of the nhs. But several doubling times, the relatively small number doubling times, the relatively small number of doubling times, the relatively small number of doubling times, and you et number of doubling times, and you get to number of doubling times, and you get to large numbers. If youre going get to large numbers. If youre going from 2000, up to 4000 over less than going from 2000, up to 4000 over less than two weeks, things can take off very less than two weeks, things can take off very rapidly. Next slide, please off very rapidly. Next slide, please. And although the dark cotours please. And although the dark colours here on this map are where the rates colours here on this map are where the rates of colours here on this map are where the rates of increase are greatest, anywhere the rates of increase are greatest, anywhere that is shaded in yellow or orange anywhere that is shaded in yellow or orange colours or dark brown, rates are increasing. Where they are in green, are increasing. Where they are in green, rates are decreasing. You can see in green, rates are decreasing. You can see in this green, rates are decreasing. You can see in this map that the increase in the new see in this map that the increase in the new variant is occurring across the new variant is occurring across the whole the new variant is occurring across the whole c