LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that businesses from barbers to bookstores will be allowed to reopen next week and that Britain's slow but steady march out of a three-month lockdown remains on track.
Johnson said Monday that Britain's vaccination program is going well and infections are falling.
He said hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms, non-essential shops, and bar and restaurant patios will be allowed to reopen on April 12.
Also lifted on April 12 will be the government's ban on overnight stays away from home in England, The Associated Press reported.
According to The AP, zoos and drive-in cinemas will be operational again.
But Johnson says it's too soon to say whether U.K. residents will be able to have summer trips abroad.
He also confirmed that the government will test out a contentious "vaccine passport" system as a tool to help travel and large events return safely.