Boris Johnson says more deaths inevitable whenever lockdown lifts as he sets out roadmap for England – as it happened

PM says realistic' to accept lifting restrictions will lead to more infections and more deaths as he outlines four-step plan

• PM promises incomparably better' summer in England after lockdown
• Step by step: how England's Covid lockdown will be lifted
• Relaxing rules too early likely to bring huge death toll, scientists say
• Teaching unions warn against big bang' return to school in England
• Global coronavirus updates - live

8.41pm GMT

The crocus of hope is poking through the frost and spring is on its way both literally and metaphorically. But I won't be buccaneering, as you put it, with people's lives, and nor will anybody in government.

I think when people look at this road map I think actually it's about as dynamic as it's possible to be under the circumstances and with disease and infection where we are.

CONCLUSIONS-the "data not dates" and "v cautious" framing isn't really right, it's much more nuanced.

-The document the govt published today was very detailed except on the very thing we've heard so much about- data.
-It was much more detailed about the dates.

-The other framing was about caution.
-It's certainly true that there's time (five weeks) between relaxation to measure effects. That is def cautious.
-But the time frame the govt has opted for, most measures relaxed by summer is on the ambitious end of what SAGE/Spi-M discuss.

Related: Step by step: how England's Covid lockdown will be lifted

It is a professional responsibility for doctors to do things which will protect their patients. And I expect that to be a professional responsibility for all other health and social care staff as well.

There are clearly some quite complex issues, some ethical issues, issues about discrimination and so on, to what extent can governments either compel or indeed forbid use of such certification. I think all that needs to be gone into so we are going to have a review of the whole issue before we come to it ...

There may well be a role for certification but we just need to get it right.

8.00pm GMT

Johnson says there will be changes to city centres as a result of the pandemic. There may be opportunities for more housing in city centres. But he does not think there will be fundamental change" to the way cities work. He says, the more people can communicate virtually, the more people want to talk face to face. He thinks that will come back, he says, provided people have confidence about coming back to city centres.

He says Covid could become something like flu, that we have to manage.