People in England told to stay away from Scotland and respect stricter health guidance north of the border

The wearing of face masks on public transport and in restricted public settings like small shops is recommended as a complement to and not a substitute for social distancing.

The Government document also sets out a longer-term timetable for south of the border with the phased reopening of schools and shops and even cafes, pubs, hairdressers and cinemas; provided, that is, the two-metre rule is strictly observed.

The plan considers how people in England and Wales could soon be mixing in social “bubbles,” showing how UK ministers are examining how to let people gather in slightly larger groups for social occasions like small weddings.

In the foreword, Boris Johnson says the UK has “paid a heavy price” from the coronavirus and will “remember 2020 as the year we were hit, along with all other nations, by a previously unknown and remorseless foe”. 

He makes clear the Government plan does not mean a “quick return to normality” nor does it lay out an easy answer.

“Inevitably, parts of this plan will adapt as we learn more about the virus. But it is a plan that should give the people of the United Kingdom hope. Hope that we can rebuild; hope that we can save lives; hope that we can safeguard livelihoods.

“It will require much from us all: that we remain alert; that we care for those at most risk; that we pull together as a United Kingdom. We will continue to work with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure these outcomes for everybody, wherever they live in the UK.”

The Prime Minister says the plan seeks to “return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and fairly as possible, in a way that is safe and continues to protect our NHS”.

He adds: “This is one of the biggest international challenges faced in a generation. But our great country has faced and overcome huge trials before. Our response to these unprecedented and unpredictable challenges must be similarly ambitious, selfless and creative.”

The document reveals consideration is being given to allow people south of the border to expand their household group to include one other household "in the same exclusive group," which could be based on the New Zealand model of household "bubbles". Such a move would allow more social contact and support some families returning to work by, for example, allowing two households to share childcare.

People are told they may drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there because this does not involve contact with people outside their own household. 

The guidance then notes: “When travelling to outdoor spaces, it is important that people respect the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and do not travel to different parts of the UK where it would be inconsistent with guidance or regulations issued by the relevant devolved administration.”

Last week, a family from London were caught on the M6 near Carlisle attempting an 800-mile round trip from London to Motherwell for a three-day lockdown holiday.

From this week in England and Wales, people will be able to take part in more leisure activities outdoors, provided at all times they follow the social distancing rules.

Under phase one, these will include having picnics, sunbathing, swimming in lakes and in the sea, playing golf and tennis. Consequently, golf courses, tennis and basketball courts will all be able to reopen from Wednesday.

Playgrounds, outdoor gyms and "ticketed outdoor leisure venues" - where there is a higher risk of close contact - remain off-limits, however.

The reopening of such leisure facilities may only be "fully possible significantly later" depending on the reduction in infections, adds the guidance.

Downing Street confirmed that, under the new lockdown rules for south of the border, an individual could meet with one person who was not from their household in an outdoor setting such as a park, provided the two-metre distance rule were observed.

Boris Johnson’s spokesman explained: "You could go to the park with your household and, whereas at the moment you would have to be exercising, you can do that for leisure.

"So, you could sit down with members of your family or those of you in the same household, you could sunbathe or have a picnic or whatever. That's one thing.

"Alternatively, if just you went out, you could meet one other person not from your household in the park and, provided they stay two metres away from you, you can sit down alongside one another and chat, sunbathe, do whatever.

"What you can't do is combine those two things. You can't go out with your household, adding one other person to it," he added.

Phase two from June could see the phased reopening of nurseries and primary schools as well as non-essential shops, the staging of sports events like football matches behind closed doors and the reopening of some public transport.

Phase three, which would occur no earlier than July 4, could see hairdressers reopen as well as some pubs, hotels, places of worship and cinemas, so long as social distancing rules can be applied.

Asked about the warning from Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, that even modest changes could have the potential to risk lives, Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, said the expert group SAGE was recommending the slight easing because there was a “little bit of room for manoeuvre” given the number of infected cases was falling and the infection rate was already below one.

"We are confident the risk of being outdoors, in terms of meeting people, provided it is with social distancing, is significantly lower than that of indoors.

"We are confident these quite small changes will not have a material effect, on their own, provided people stick to the social distancing and the rules that are there, on increasing the R beyond where we are at the moment."

He added: "We are not claiming there are no risks in this but what we think is that they are very small and proportionate to the advantage of overall wellbeing, exercise leading to good health and sustainability."

The Government document explains how ministers and officials are examining how to enable people to gather in “slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings”.

It goes on: "Over the coming weeks, the Government will engage on the nature and timing of the measures in this step in order to consider the widest possible array of views on how best to balance the health, economic and social effects."

Among the new recommended measures is the wearing of face-coverings.

It explains that because of increased mobility as more people return to work the Government is now advising that people should “aim to wear a face-covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and they come into contact with others that they do not normally meet, for example on public transport or in some shops”.

The document points out how face-coverings are not intended to help the wearer but protect against any inadvertent transmission of the disease to others.

“A face covering is not the same as a facemask such as the surgical masks or respirators used as part of personal protective equipment by healthcare and other workers. These supplies must continue to be reserved for those who need it. Face-coverings should not be used by children under the age of two, or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly, for example primary age children unassisted, or those with respiratory conditions. It is important to use face-coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them off.”

Prof Whitty pointed out how there had been scientific debate across many countries on the efficacy of face-coverings and, on balance, SAGE decided there was evidence of a “modest effect” in a person, who had the virus without knowing it for two to three days, being able to protect someone else. He pointed out the scientific evidence was not strong enough to make the wearing of masks compulsory. He also stressed wearing face-coverings was not an alternative to social distancing.

Last month, the Scottish Government recommended face-coverings in restricted areas but at the time the UK Government did not. However, its experts now believe that wearing them can produce a small but positive benefit, particularly in restricting the transmission from an infected person, who might not be showing signs of having the disease.