British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that his plan to lift the COVID-19 lockdown would be cautious but irreversible and would include the earliest possible dates for reopening the economy.

Johnson said he will lay out a "roadmap" to get the country out of lockdown next Monday, but "won't hesitate" to delay plans if necessary.

"We've got to be very prudent and what we want to see is progress that is cautious, but irreversible," Johnson told reporters.

The prime minister said the government will do everything they can to reopen schools on March 8, but they have to keep looking at the data to make the right decision.

England on Monday started rolling out mandatory hotel quarantine for travelers arriving from "high-risk" countries. 

People arriving in England from 33 "red list" countries, including Brazil, Portugal and South Africa, will be required to stay in quarantine for 10 days. 

(With input from Reuters)