What time is Boris Johnson's announcement today  and what will he say about lockdown?
The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel  Get UK politics insight with our free daily email briefing straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make an announcement regarding the easing of lockdown restrictions later today. He is expected to confirm whether or not England can move to stage four of the government's roadmap out of lockdown. The government has said that whether or not the unlocking of restrictions can take place will depend on whether the four tests have been met. They are: the success of the vaccine rollout, reductions in hospitalisations and deaths, that infection rates don't risk a surge in hospital admissions, and that no new variants of concern are hampering progress being made. The announcement comes as NHS chiefs have warned waiting lists could reach nine million patients by the end of the year. (Image: Getty Images)  Mr Johnson is expected to confirm the lockdown changes today, Monday, July 12 at 5pm. The PM is meeting top allies today to make the final decision on whether England can scrap almost all Covid laws on July 19. Health Secretary Sajid Javid will announce the plans in Parliament this afternoon. Mr Johnson is expected to confirm that England can move to step four of the government's roadmap out of lockdown. As part of step four, almost all restrictions could be lifted. This includes social distancing, the mandatory requirement to wear a face mask, and the end of work from home guidance. However, he will also warn that "the global pandemic is not over yet", and that coronavirus cases will continue to rise as rules are relaxed. Ahead of the announcement, Mr Johnson said: "We are tantalisingly close to the final milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come with a warning. "While the phenomenon vaccine rollout has offered every adult some protection against the virus, and the crucial link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths is weakened, the global pandemic is not over yet. "Cases will rise as we unlock, so as we confirm our plans today, our message will be clear. Caution is absolutely vital, and we must all take responsibility so we don't undo our progress, ensuring we continue to protect our NHS." (Image: PA)  Stage four of the government's plan has already been delayed once, with the initial date being put back by four weeks. This was done in order to make sure all adults had been offered the first dose of the vaccine, and ensure that more individuals had received two doses. Data released on Friday, July 9, showed that 45.7million (86.9%) adults have received their first jab. Meanwhile, 34.5million (65.6%) have received both doses. Get a daily morning politics briefing straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Mirror Politics newsletter  (Image: PA)      The Prime Minister and his scientific advisors will also present the latest data, which shows Covid cases are surging. UK cases are up 27% in a week, while deaths are up 66% in a week. The government is thought to be scrapping the face mask rule  but ask that people keep waring them anyway. As part of the relaxations, the rule of six is thought to be axed, and nightclubs can reopen.