When will lockdown end in England? What are the rules?

England entered a third period of lockdown restrictions on January 6 to replace the four-tier system as Covid cases continued to rise at an alarming rate.

Under the measures people are only allowed to leave their homes for certain specific reasons, with schools closed to the majority of pupils and all non-essential businesses closed in an attempt to ease pressure on the embattled NHS.

While the legislation on the new restrictions lasts until 31 March, the speed that the measures can be eased depends on how quickly the UK can continue its roll-out of Covid-19 vaccination.

People are only allowed to leave their house for a number of reasons under current lockdown rules in England

What are England's lockdown rules?

People must stay at home and only go out if you have "a reasonable excuse".

You are not to meet people socially unless you live together or form a support bubble.

People breaking these rules can face fines, including an £800 penalty for those attending house parties of more than 15 people - and a £10,000 fine for the organisers.

What's a 'reasonable excuse' for leaving home?

• Shopping for essentials such as food and medicine
• Meeting your support or childcare bubble
• Children moving between separated parents
• Working where it is "unreasonable" to work from home, for example nannies, cleaners and tradespeople
• Education, training, childcare, medical appointments and emergencies
• Religious worship
• Moving house
• Exercise once a day

You can exercise with one person from another household in an open public space.

You should stay local. Travel - internationally or around the UK - is only allowed if it is essential.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or essential reasons. You should not attend work.

When will lockdown end?

England's plan to ease lockdown will be announced around 22 February, with hopes schools will begin reopening from 8 March.

Boris Johnson said this week the “economic and social restrictions” could be eased “then or thereafter,” and it is unlikely that there will be any acceleration of this given that schools remain the Government’s stated priority.

This timetable is based on progress in vaccinating the most vulnerable groups in society by mid-February and then giving the jab time to take effect.

When he made his inital announcement on 4 January, Mr Johnson offered “the middle of February” as a tentative date for measures to begin easing.

• SEE ALSO: SAGE want people to wear masks outdoors in the UK

Mr Johnson said: “By the middle of February, if things go well and with a fair wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.”

He added that “we should remain cautious about the timetable ahead,” but said there was cause for hope if the vaccination programme rolls out as planned and deaths fall as a result.

Michael Gove subsequently suggested it was more likely that lockdown would remain in place until March, telling Sky News: “I think it is right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions, but not necessarily all.”

Travel is currently restricted under the current lockdown

During his address to MPs ahead of the vote on the new Covid rules on Wednesday 6 January, Mr Johnson explained that the emergence from lockdown will be “gradual,” explaining why the legislation involved was written to run until 31 March.

He told MPs: “As was the case last spring, our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will not be a big bang but a gradual unwrapping.

“That is why the legislation this House will vote on later today runs until 31 March. Not because we expect the full national lockdown to continue until then, but to allow a steady, controlled and evidence-led move down through the tiers on a regional basis – carefully, brick by brick, as it were, breaking free of our confinement but without risking the hard won gains that our protections have given us.”