THE chair of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum (NYRLF) has welcomed the Government's roadmap to support the country out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Richard Flinton has said he is happy with the "positive vision," of the Government's plan, although he said he is urging everyone to remain cautious.

Mr Flinton said: "The Government have laid out a clear road map for the country, striking a balance between caution but also positive action for us to unlock the current restrictions

"This does depend on the good progress that we make at each stage and there will be ongoing assessment to make sure that we can move on to the next step.

"As a population, we need to make sure that we stay with each stage of the proposed steps. We still have high rates across North Yorkshire.

"We have to act with caution, but the overall situation is one that is improving. We are relying on the ongoing success of vaccinations.

"We welcome the road map, which gives us clear stages on how to prepare for unlocking."

The new Government road map will begin with schools reopening on March 8, followed by the easing of some restrictions on March 29, when the 'Rule of 6' will operate in an outdoor setting.