"The reopening of schools marks a truly national effort to beat this virus. It is because of the determination of every person in this country that we can start moving closer to a sense of normality – and it is right that getting our young people back into the classroom is the first step," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson, who unveiled the roadmap on February 22, stressed on Sunday that authorities have taken a cautious approach to preserve the progress made so far, and urged people to get the vaccine and get tested for the coronavirus, as scientific evidence has shown that one in three people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms and will be spreading it without realizing it.

"Our roadmap is built on the principle of replacing the protection that comes from lockdown with the protection that comes from vaccines and regular testing," Johnson said.

As part of the new safety measures to be implemented in England, secondary school and college students will be asked to wear face coverings in classrooms where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Students will take two quick-result COVID-19 tests per week in order to identify asymptomatic carriers, with nearly 57 million lateral flow tests already delivered to schools and colleges across the country.

Scotland and Wales started a staggered return to classes on February 22, while the semi-autonomous government of Northern Ireland pledged to give a definitive answer in what concerns the reopening of schools this week.

"The reopening of schools marks a truly national effort to beat this virus. It is because of the determination of every person in this country that we can start moving closer to a sense of normality – and it is right that getting our young people back into the classroom is the first step," UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson, who unveiled the roadmap on February 22, stressed on Sunday that authorities have taken a cautious approach to preserve the progress made so far, and urged people to get the vaccine and get tested for the coronavirus, as scientific evidence has shown that one in three people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms and will be spreading it without realizing it.

"Our roadmap is built on the principle of replacing the protection that comes from lockdown with the protection that comes from vaccines and regular testing," Johnson said.

As part of the new safety measures to be implemented in England, secondary school and college students will be asked to wear face coverings in classrooms where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Students will take two quick-result COVID-19 tests per week in order to identify asymptomatic carriers, with nearly 57 million lateral flow tests already delivered to schools and colleges across the country.

Scotland and Wales started a staggered return to classes on February 22, while the semi-autonomous government of Northern Ireland pledged to give a definitive answer in what concerns the reopening of schools this week.