How the UK front pages reacted to Boris Johnson's 'one-way road to freedom' roadmap

The front pages of Tuesday’s newspapers have all focused on Boris Johnson’s plan to ease England out its coronavirus lockdown.

The prime minister announced on Monday that all COVID-19 restrictions on social contact will be lifted on 21 June at the earliest.

In his roadmap for exiting the lockdown, he said families can visit indoors and stay overnight from 17 May at the earliest.

Johnson outlined five key dates for easing restrictions in the months ahead.

Hairdressers and salons could be back from 12 April, while hotels can reopen and foreign travel will be permitted from 17 May at the earliest.

Read more: Why there is five weeks between each stage of lockdown easing

The first step of the plan will see all schools in England reopen from 8 March, with wider use of face masks in secondary schools.

Socialising in parks and public spaces with one other person will also be permitted from that date.

A further easing will take place on 29 March, when the school Easter holidays begin, with larger groups of up to six people or two households allowed to gather in parks and gardens.

The main theme among the newspapers on Tuesday was that of freedom.

The Daily Express splashed on the prime minister's "one-way road to freedom", while the Daily Telegraph announced that it was '118 days to freedom' and The i spoke of "four steps to freedom" in its front page headline.

Referring to the 21 June date, Metro wrote of a "midsummer's dream" and The Times said: "The end is in sight".

While the Financial Times called Johnson’s plan a “balanced approach” and The Guardian said it was a "cautious, phased easing of curbs”, others were more impatient.

The Sun wrote of an “agonising wait” for the lockdown to end, and the Daily Mail asked on its front page: “What are we waiting for?”