Image source, Reuters

Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have issued a joint statement saying quarantine measures would not apply between France and the UK "at this stage".

The UK prime minister said in his address to the nation this evening that he was "serving notice" that it would soon be the time to impose a quarantine on people coming into the country by air.

Downing Street has since issued a statement saying the leaders spoke on Sunday and agreed that "co-operation is particularly necessary for the management of our common border".

The statement said: "No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner."

It comes after UK airlines said they had been told the government will bring in a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the UK from any country apart from the Republic of Ireland.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says there is “still some room for simpler, clearer messages” on how to tackle the coronavirus.

Speaking about Boris Johnson's speech, she tells the BBC she is "particularly concerned” that moving from the "stay at home" message to “something much vaguer” means the public weren’t given clear messages about what they should and shouldn’t do.

She says it is “incumbent” on the PM to make clear “more strongly than he did tonight” that he was talking about lifting restrictions for England, and not other parts of the UK.

“We really all of us have such a duty right now to be as clear as possible," adds Sturgeon.

The CBI says Boris Johnson's speech marks "the first glimmer of light for our faltering economy".

The business lobby group's director general, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, says "a phased and careful return to work is the only way to protect jobs and pay for future public services", and the PM's speech set out the first steps.

But she says while businesses are keen to open and "get our economy back on its feet", they know "putting health first is the only sustainable route to economic recovery" and "the message of continued vigilance is right".

Dame Carolyn admits it will be a "long process", but calls on business, government and employee representatives to work together "as part of a national effort built on openness and trust" to get the country back on its feet.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a series of "careful" steps to reopen society.

Watch the PM outline how he intends to "modify" the lockdown restrictions:

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

There is now a gap between hearing from the prime minister tonight, and getting hold of the 50-ish page document regarding England's lockdown tomorrow.

So, here's what we've gleaned from a government official.

• Most secondary school pupils in England won't be back in a classroom until September. It is hoped those with exams next year might get to head back before the summer holidays, but there are no specifics on the timing of that
• Nurseries and primary schools won't re-open until the beginning of next month at the earliest. As and when they do, those in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 will head back first
• From Wednesday, in England, there will be no limit on the exercise you go outside to do. You can sit in the park and read. You can sunbathe...
• You can meet one person from outside your own household if you stay two metres apart
• So, you can sit next to a single friend in the park, but you must socially distance
• And, you can drive to parks and beaches in England but you must socially distance when you get there

For those who are shielding, there is no change in the advice.

Image source, Getty Images

The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, says his government will "continue to make decisions which are right for Wales".

After Boris Johnson's speech, the Labour politician published a video, pledging to use "information and expert advice about how coronavirus is circulating here to keep us safe".

The country's government set out "modest changes" on Friday, including allowing people to exercise more and for garden centres to open.

However, it is sticking to the "stay at home" message, rather than changing in line with the PM's new "stay alert" campaign.

"Our advice has not changed in Wales," he says.

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price, said the prime minister had "acted tonight as England’s prime minister - not a responsible one either".

He accused Johnson's message as "confusing and dangerous", and accused the UK government of "cutting itself adrift" of the three other nation's approaches.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

The prime minister is effectively trying to pull off the impossible.

He wants to try to re-start normal life, while keeping the virus at bay with limited means to do so.

With no vaccine, the government is reliant on containing any local outbreaks.

But the problem is that even with the extra testing that has been put in place over the past month, there are big holes in the UK’s ability to suppress the virus.

It takes too long to get test results back – several days in some cases – and those most in need of regular testing, such as care home staff for example, are still reporting they cannot always access tests.

Our ability to trace the close contacts of infected people remains unknown – the piloting of the system, which involves the use of an app and army of contact tracers, has just started on the Isle of Wight.

It means we are effectively fighting this “invisible killer” with one hand behind our back.

We are not alone in struggling - similar problems are being encountered by other countries.

But we are still some way behind the best prepared and equipped, such as Germany and South Korea.

Simon Jack
BBC Business Editor

The standout line from the PM is people who can’t work from home should be “actively encouraged” to go to work.

The truth is that many businesses have already been having people return to work in a safe way, but the real problem is people are being advised to avoid public transport if at all possible.

Which begs the question – if you rely on public transport to get to work – what message is this sending?

At the end of the day, this is about confidence – confidence on the part of employers that they’re not going to run foul of government guidelines.

Confidence on the part of workers that they feel safe, and ultimately confidence on the part of consumers that they can venture out to buy the products.

But these really are baby steps.

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

"It all depends on a series of big ifs," said the prime minister - which could also double as the title of his speech this evening.

So much depends on the virus and its spread.

The capacity to be definitive appears to be another victim of the virus - and we'll have to get used to that for months to come.

Clarity will be the frequent demand from many.

But providing it won't be easy.

Image source, PA Media

The leader of the Labour Party in the UK, Sir Keir Starmer, says the prime minister’s statement lacked “clarity and consensus”.

He told the BBC: “This statement raises as many questions as it answers. We see the prospect of England, Scotland and Wales pulling in different directions, so there's a big gap here for the government to make up.”

Sir Keir says Boris Johnson appeared to be “rushing into tomorrow”, telling millions of people to go back to work “without a clear plan for safety” or “clear guidance as to how to get there without using public transport”.

He says that if he were PM, he would have “tried to build a consensus” and would have made sure - if possible - that the devolved administrations, trade unions, and community groups were “on board” and knew “exactly what was required of them.”

The Labour leader adds: “I accept a plan had to be set out, but to lack that basic clarity and consensus is a real problem.”

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has tweeted his response to the prime minister's address tonight.

In a statement, he reiterated that Londoners should "still stay at home as much as possible" and urged them to continue to avoid public transport and work remotely if they can.

Image source, PA Media

In the past half hour, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given his statement on the roadmap for the future of lockdown in England.

So what did he announce?

• A new Covid Alert System will track the virus in England
• The PM says it is "not the time to simply end the lockdown this week"
• People should now be "actively encouraged" to go to work if they cannot work from home, but they should avoid public transport
• From Wednesday, people in England can take "unlimited exercise", including sitting in your local park or driving to destinations for exercise
• Schools could return on 1 June, with primary schools opening first, but that date is the "earliest" it could happen
• Parts of the hospitality industry and more shops could open from July, dependent on the data
• People coming to the country by air will be put in quarantine
• Johnson says he “will not hesitate to put on the brakes” if there are further outbreaks of the virus

Reality Check

The prime minister says “fast progress” has been made but there is “so much more to do” on coronavirus testing.

The number of daily tests to diagnose coronavirus had been averaging around 20,000 but, at the end of April, the government said it had hit its target of 100,000 tests a day in the UK.

The figure of over 122,000 for 30 April included around 40,000 testing kits, which are counted when they are sent out rather than when they are actually used.

The following day, the figure was over 100,000 but it has now been missed for eight days in a row.

Boris Johnson says he wants to see a system where “we’re testing literally hundreds of thousands of people a day”.

The latest government figures show that yesterday 64,362 people were tested for coronavirus.

Laura Kuenssberg
Political editor

This has been such a strange, terrible period for many people in this country, but the disease has started to come under control.

We have seen day-by-day the number of new cases on the way down.

That crucial infection rate has also been dropping and because of that the government has made a decision that in England it is time to move to the next phase.

That means slowly, carefully and conditionally taking some small steps towards reopening society and reopening the economy.

But the prime minister said time and again this a series of big ifs - this is certainly not some kind of dramatic flinging of the doors open.

David Shukman
Science editor, BBC News

Image source, PA Media

There’s little research into this but most points to lower risks of infection outdoors. Droplets or particles carrying the virus should be dispersed by breezes. And if you’re walking or jogging, you’re less likely to touch infected surfaces and contaminate your face.

One study in Japan, external concluded that the risks were 18 times greater indoors than outside. And Chinese researchers investigating 300 different outbreaks, external found only one started outdoors.

But there can still be risks. Another Chinese study that traced 2000 contacts of infected people, external warns against “unprotected face-to-face conversations” in the open air.

And advice from the UK government about working out of doors says staff should be “facing away from each other” if not two metres apart.

But lab tests in the US found coughs could reach six metres and sneezes up to eight metres. And research in Belgium, external suggests the virus may be carried in a slipstream behind runners.

All of which is a reminder that outdoors or not, avoiding crowded areas still matters.

Chris Mason
Political Correspondent

Image source, Press Association

The prime minister has made a career out of colourful language, elaborate metaphor, arresting imagery.

But this is something very different - laden as it is with caution and caveats. This is merely, he says, "the shape of a plan", "the first sketch of a roadmap" for how things might gradually re-open in England.

The brutal reality of this virus is there can't be specific promises, because the brakes might have to be slammed back on if there is a sudden spike in cases.

The prime minister has ended his address.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

The prime minister says that if the alert level means the dates for the plan have to be adjusted “we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right”.

He says the country will come back from “this devilish illness” and will return to “robust health”.

The UK “will be changed by this experience”, he says, but he believes “we can be stronger and better than ever before”.

He signs off saying: “But for now we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives. Thank you very much.”