Extra lockdown guidance has been issued by a senior Government figure, as England enters a third nationwide shutdown to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Michael Gove has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain and Sky News on Tuesday morning (January 5), explaining why Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose another total lockdown.

He has suggested how long the stay at home order could last, while also talking further about the Government’s change of heart on closing schools, as well as border controls and more.

Here are 7 things the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster revealed in his media appearances:

1 – Lockdown likely to last until March

Michael Gove told Sky News that March should mark the point at which restrictions are starting to be eased.

He said: “We will keep these constantly under review but you are absolutely right, we can’t predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing February 15-22.

“What we will be doing is everything that we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated, so that we can begin to progressively lift restrictions.

“I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all.”

2 – GCSE and A-Level exams solution to be announced

Mr Gove said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will address a recalled House of Commons on Wednesday to update MPs on how pupils will be assessed at the end of the year, following further disruption to their learning.

Mr Gove told Sky News: “The Education Secretary has been talking to the exams regulator Ofqual in order that we can find a way of recognising the immense hard work that students across the country have put in this year.

“Obviously we can’t have A-levels, GCSEs or B-techs in the way that we have had them in the past but there are ways of ensuring that we can assess the work that students have done, give them a fair recognition of that and help them onto the next stage of their education.

“The Education Secretary will be saying more about that but it is critically important that parents and students recognise that their work will be recognised at the end of this year – it is not the case that anyone would, or anyone would want to, down tools as it were.

“It is critically important that children maintain their learning and we will be supporting them to do so by making it easier for more and more students to access remote learning.”

3 – Why Boris Johnson changed his mind on closing schools

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said the Prime Minister, who had urged that pupils carry on attending schools just hours before announcing on Monday night that they would shut, had reluctantly decided to act when confronted with a change in coronavirus alert level.

Michael Gove told BBC Breakfast: “The four chief medical officers of the United Kingdom met and discussed the situation yesterday and their recommendation was that the country had to move to Level 5, the highest level available of alert that meant there was an imminent danger to the NHS of being overwhelmed unless action was taken.

“And so in the circumstances we felt that the only thing we could do was to close those primary schools that were open.

“Of course, it was with the heaviest of hearts because education is such an important part of any young person’s life and we want to keep schools open as much as possible, but the message from the chief medical officers yesterday was clear and therefore, with a heavy heart but with clear evidence, we had to act.”

4 – Target to vaccinate 13 million

Michael Gove said the NHS was working “24/7” to ensure 13 million people are vaccinated by the middle of February.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: “We know that we’ve vaccinated one million people up to the weekend.

“We’re increasing the numbers this week and we’re hoping, as the Prime Minister outlined, to reach just over 13 million in February.”

Asked about what was being done logistically to ensure the most vulnerable were inoculated by the school half-term, Mr Gove added: “Everything. We do want to make sure these vaccines are delivered in the safest possible way, that we do everything we can not to waste a drop.

“The process of making sure the vaccine can be placed in the appropriate vials and then safely injected into people’s arms is a complicated exercise but the NHS has more than risen to the challenge.

“We have some of the best public servants in the world working in our NHS and they are working 24/7 in order to ensure that we can inject people, whether that is in hospitals or through GPs or in other ways.

“We’re seeking to reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible.”

5 – Can you meet a friend for a walk?

Michael Gove said people can meet up with a friend outdoors to go for a walk but should do “everything possible to restrict social contact”.

Asked about the possibility of meeting up with another person for a walk, the Cabinet minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Provided you maintain social distance and provided that it is exercise, yes.

“But one of the things we do want to stop is the idea of people essentially congregating or socialising outside, so the judgment is clear that one period of exercise a day is appropriate.

“For some people that will be running or cycling, for other people it will be walking. You can walk with one other person but it is important, as I say, to maintain the two metre social distance.”

6 – Can you stop during your walk?

Mr Gove was pressed on whether people could be punished if they needed to take a break during their period of exercise.

On sitting down during a walk with a friend, Mr Gove added: “I think, inevitably, it may be the case that for a second someone will want to pause and rest in the course of exercise.

“We’re anxious to make sure people exercise common sense and the clear message is: do stay at home, of course exercise once a day, but also do everything possible to restrict social contact.”

7 – Will coronavirus rules at UK border be toughened up?

Michael Gove told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that a decision is to be announced on whether the UK will demand a negative Covid test from those entering the country.

He said: “We will be making announcements later today and in the days ahead about how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe.

“It is already the case that there are significant restrictions on people coming into this country and of course we’re stressing that nobody should be travelling abroad.

“But I don’t want to pre-empt the specific advice that is going to be given.”

Mr Gove said during his series of broadcast interviews that he is in discussions with the devolved UK administrations about the terms of the announcement affecting international visitors.