This week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson officially unveiled the Roadmap out of Lockdown, a plan to be rolled out in four phases. The UK government plans to reopen campuses from March 8, and aims to lift all restrictions by June 21.
What does this four-step exit roadmap mean for international students? With UK universities arranging staggered returns, which courses can resume in-person teaching sooner? CheersYou（清柚教育） will interpret the UK's lockdown exit roadmap, vaccination progress, and the latest back-to-campus plans from UK universities one by one.
UK's Four-Step Roadmap Out of Lockdown
Here is a summary of the UK's roadmap out of lockdown:
Step 1 (1): From March 8
Schools: Campuses will reopen from March 8, with all primary and secondary school pupils returning safely first, and supervised extracurricular activities and sports allowed on school premises. University students on practice-based courses can also return to campus from March 8.
The government will provide secondary school and university students with twice-weekly rapid COVID-19 tests, and conduct regular testing for teachers to minimize the risk of virus transmission on campuses.
Social contact: People can go out for recreation or exercise, and two people will be allowed to sit together outdoors, including for a coffee or a picnic.
Step 1 (2): From March 29
Social contact: Outdoor gatherings of up to six people will be allowed, including in parks and gardens.
Sports: Outdoor sports facilities (such as basketball courts, tennis courts, and outdoor swimming pools) will reopen, and both adults and children can take part in outdoor sports.
Travel: The official 'stay at home' order will end on March 29, but the government advises people to stay local. In addition, people should continue to work from home, avoid travelling at peak times, and overseas travel remains banned (except for a few exemptions).
Step 2: No earlier than April 12
Business activities: Non-essential retail, hairdressers, beauty salons, and public facilities such as libraries are planned to reopen. Most outdoor attractions (e.g., zoos, theme parks) will also reopen. However, indoor facilities like gyms can only be used by individuals or household groups.
Schools: Universities are expected to resume in-person teaching.
Step 3: No earlier than May 17
Social contact: Most outdoor social contact restrictions will be lifted, with outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people allowed; indoors, gatherings of up to six are permitted.
Business activities: Indoor venues such as restaurants, hotels, arcades, cinemas, and fitness classes will reopen, though subject to certain restrictions.
Step 4: No earlier than June 21
All social contact restrictions will be lifted, and large entertainment venues are expected to reopen.
However, whether this four-step roadmap can proceed on schedule will ultimately depend on the success of the vaccination programme. The government will closely monitor and review each stage before deciding whether to advance to the next step.
UK Vaccination Progress
The overall COVID-19 situation in the UK has significantly improved since early January, and vaccination is being rolled out comprehensively.
As of 10 am UK time on February 26, a total of 85,925,041 tests have been conducted (with 731,410 new tests added daily), 4,163,085 cases have been confirmed (with 8,523 new cases daily), and 122,415 deaths have been recorded (with 345 new deaths daily).
Across the UK, 19,177,555 people have received their first dose of the vaccine (with 485,720 new doses administered daily); 736,037 have received their second dose (with 35,319 new doses daily).
According to the latest UK data, receiving the first vaccine dose can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19 by up to 94% after four weeks.
Moreover, the vaccine is highly effective in protecting high-risk groups. Another UK study on people aged over 80 showed that the first dose provides 57% effectiveness in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, rising to 85% after the second dose.
According to a Telegram forecasting model, daily new cases in the UK could fall below 1,000 by April 7. This timeline aligns closely with the government's Step 2 reopening plan.
If vaccination continues smoothly and data consistently shows that vaccines are effective in preventing infection, reducing hospitalizations, and lowering deaths, the UK's exit roadmap may proceed on time.
UK Universities: Staggered Return to Campus
Based on the government's roadmap, UK universities will implement a staggered return to campus for different courses from March 8.
Courses that heavily rely on laboratories, specialist equipment, or in-person practical activities (such as medicine, sociology) will be among the first to return and resume in-person teaching.
However, for students on other courses, the Department for Education stated on Twitter on February 23 that a decision is expected before the end of the Easter holidays in April.
UCL
On February 25, UCL was among the first to announce that, in line with the government roadmap, it would resume some in-person teaching from March 8, including courses that require practical or specialist equipment, such as creative arts.
The university plans to reintroduce in-person teaching in phases to avoid health and safety risks from a large-scale simultaneous return. Students currently learning online need not return to campus and can continue with online learning.
At the same time, the university strongly recommends that students currently in London take rapid COVID-19 tests twice a week, wear face coverings, and maintain social distancing.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford also released its latest return-to-campus plan on February 26. The university advises students not on practice-based courses to avoid returning before April 5 and to await further government guidance.
For undergraduates: from March 8, the majority will continue with online learning; from April 12, a small number will resume in-person classes; some practice-based courses will resume face-to-face teaching from April 26.
For postgraduates: practice-based postgraduate courses will resume in-person teaching from March 8; those heavily reliant on laboratory work are unaffected and may continue their research on campus.
For most students, the university library will primarily remain an online resource; on-campus students can book library study spaces but must follow social distancing rules.
Oxford also reminds international students that if they need to return to campus for in-person teaching, they must comply with international travel regulations, self-isolate for 10 days after arrival in the UK, and take two PCR tests during isolation. International students unable to return on time can discuss alternative arrangements, such as deferred in-person attendance, with their department.
University of Sussex
University of Sussex's Vice-Chancellor, Adam Tickell, recently expressed his hope that all students can return as soon as possible to experience real classroom engagement and campus life. However, the university still needs to wait for further government guidance after Easter.
It is expected that other UK universities will soon publish their return policies, and we will continue to monitor and provide the latest updates.
We hope everything returns to normal soon, so students can get back to campus and resume the learning and social life they have missed for so long.
