Coronavirus variant could push back England's reopening, PM Johnson warns

LONDON - England may need to wait longer than planned before COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted as a coronavirus variant first found in India spreads rapidly in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Thursday.

Johnson had previously laid out a roadmap out of lockdown for England, with all restrictions to end on June 21, but warned that the swift spread of the variant could threaten that plan. Next steps would depend on how robust the country's "vaccine fortifications" against the variant were, according to the British prime minister.