England will now have to wait FOUR WEEKS for changes to lockdown rules under move sneaked out by Matt Hancock today

• Health regulations covering lockdown had to be reviewed every 21 days 
• Hancock announced that was being extended to 28 days in written statement 
• Told MPs it would allow ministers to make decisions ‘at the right time’ 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Ministers quietly changed the law governing reviews of the coronavirus lockdown today to allow them to take more time to make decisions.

Previously the health regulations under which the strict restrictions were brought in in May and eased slightly at the start of this week had to be reaffirmed every 21 days.

But Matt Hancock announced it was being lengthened by a full week to 28 days at the bottom of a Written Ministerial Statement issued this afternoon.

In the statement he wrote: ‘To ensure that we are making future decisions about the lockdown at the right time, the maximum review period will change from 21 days to 28 days. 

This will allow decisions to align more closely with the period of time necessary to assess the impact of previous changes on key data feeds, including the R rate. 

Matt Hancock announced the review period was being lengthened by a full week to 28 days at the bottom of a Written Ministerial Statement issued this afternoon, while he was speaking in the Commons (pictured)

‘The Government will also keep all the measures under continual review and will account to Parliament on an ongoing basis.’

Under the regulations brought in in March ministers had to formally extend the lockdown every three weeks and have done so until now, although they can ease or tighten the restrictions between these dates.

This means that the laws on  people meeting in groups outdoors were eased as of Monday and new measures from shops to reopen come into effect on June 15. 

Mr Hancock said the last time the extension was made was May 28, meaning the lockdown will officially stay in place until June 26, although there appears close to no chance it will be lifted then.

Today tens of thousands of people have been out shopping, eating and sunbathing on the hottest day of the year.

Police and security were even brought in to manage queues for fast food and flat-pack furniture across the UK.

Retail analyst Springboard told MailOnline they recorded an increase of shoppers in UK high streets of nearly one third yesterday, compared with the bank holiday Monday on May 25. 

Britain’s Retail Parks saw a 12 per cent increase from the previous Monday, and a 36 per cent increase in the number of people in shopping centres, according to the data.     

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