PRIME minister has called for a “heavy dose of caution” as indoor socialising and physical contact resumes against the backdrop of concerns over the Indian coronavirus variant.

The Prime Minister said “now everyone must play their part”, as England pushes ahead with the third stage of the road map out of lockdown on Monday, which will mean that pubs and restaurants will be able to welcome customers back indoors, household visits will resume and the foreign holiday ban will end.

This comes as infection rates remain high in Blackburn with Darwen, with Mr Johnson having said last Friday that the army will be deployed to the borough to assist with testing.

In a new statement, Mr Johnson said: “Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution.

“We are keeping the spread of the variant first identified in India under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates are rising.”

He said the “current data does not indicate unsustainable pressure on the NHS”, and that second vaccine doses are being accelerated to give the greatest protection to the most vulnerable.

He added: “But now everyone must play their part – by getting tested twice a week, coming forward for your vaccine when called and remembering hands, face, space and fresh air.

“I urge everyone to be cautious and take responsibility when enjoying new freedoms today in order to keep the virus at bay.”

Cinemas, hotels and B&Bs will also be allowed to reopen on Monday, as the “rule of six” will be applied to indoor meetings, while physical distancing ends between friends and family.

Sir John Bell, Oxford’s regius professor of medicine, said the result of lab experiments investigating whether the vaccine neutralises the Indian variant “looks okay”.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s not catastrophically bad,” he told Times Radio, adding there is only “a slight reduction in the ability to neutralise the virus."