BORIS JOHNSON is set to announce “limited moves” towards lifting the coronavirus lockdown in England from Monday.

Measures such as the use of masks in public and increased frequency of transport services are expected in the PM’s announcement tomorrow evening. The latter breaches agreements reached with unions.

The quarantine of arrivals from abroad – a measure taken weeks ago by countries including China and Germany – is also being “actively considered” by ministers, according to a Downing Street spokesman.

“I think ministers have said the issue of looking to ensure ... that we are enable to ensure the virus is not being brought into the country from overseas is one they are actively considering,” he said.

Mr Johnson claims that he will exercise “maximum caution” when changing the restrictions to avoid a second wave of the virus.

Hints floated in the right-wing press of an early end to lockdown and a withdrawal of financial support schemes have been downplayed following a backlash from trade unions arguing that the government cannot yet guarantee workers will be able to return safely.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told BBC Breakfast today that if there is “any indication that things are starting to get out of control” then the government “won’t hesitate” to reimpose certain bans.

“Expect limited moves to begin with and then, over time, if those are starting to work, we can start to go further,” he said.

Scotland and Wales will use devolved powers to make their own decisions on how to ease the lockdown.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said that restrictions in the country will continue for a further three weeks, with some “modest adjustments” from Monday.

In Scotland, only alterations to exercise guidance are expected.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government’s support for care homes during the crisis.

It came after it emerged that the pandemic’s R value – the number of people that the average infected individual spreads the virus to — had risen to between 0.75 and 1.0 because of the crisis in care homes.

Mr Dowden claimed there is evidence that the government is getting a grip on the situation in care homes.

But Public Health England medical director Professor Yvonne Doyle said in Wednesday’s Downing Street daily press conference that the UK should be braced for further increases in the number of coronavirus-linked care-home deaths.