The Prime Minister has announced that our schools will remain closed until March 8th at the earliest.

Under pressure to reveal a clear plan and timetable for school re-openings, Boris Johnson laid to rest any hopes among some parents, pressure groups and MPs that youngsters might be back in their classrooms immediately after the February half-term, on February 22nd.

"I know how frustrating that will be for pupils and teachers who want nothing more than to return to the classroom," he said.

He said he "hopes" schools will begin to reopen from March 8th, two weeks later than planned.

We can also be confident, in the light of today's announcement, that the government is not anticipating any relaxation of the present lockdown of England before this date - schools were always going to be the first institutions to re-open.

The Prime Minister added that the government will publish a detailed roadmap for "taking the country out of lockdown" - but only in the week of February 22nd.