Yesterday (23.06) the Prime Minister Boris Johnson released information regarding the new lockdown measures in England, which will be relaxed from 4 July.
First of all, the 2m rule will be eased: a “one metre plus” rule will be introduced where it is not possible to respect the 2m rule. However, “mitigation” (such as face coverings and not sitting face-to-face) has been recommended by the Prime Minister where the 2m rule is not respected.
Also, from 4 July more businesses will be allowed to reopen. The list includes, amongst the others, pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers (see below for the full list).
Furthermore, it will be permitted for two different households to meet indoors and stay overnight.
There won’t be exclusivity regarding the meeting of households: it will be possible to meet a household one weekend and another household the following weekend. Nevertheless, social distance will still be mandatory and therefore family members who do not live together will not be able to hug.
Some businesses will still have to remain close from 4 July: indoor gyms, indoor play areas, nail bars and swimming pools (see below for the full list).
Another advice from the government has been that people should keep working from home if they can.
The government’s chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, said the relaxation represented a reasonable balance of risk and the Prime Minister Boris Johnson added that all steps are reversible and that stricter rules will be applied again if people do not respect the new measures and the number of infections increases.
On Tuesday in the UK other 171 deaths were reported, reaching a total of 42,927. Other new 874 tested positive on the same day, with the R value currently being between 0.7 and 0.9 in the UK.
This is the list of businesses which will be able to reopen from 4 July:
- Pubs, bars and restaurants (only table service indoors). Details of customers must be kept to help with contact tracing;
- Hotels, holiday apartments, campsites and caravan parks;
- Theatres and music halls (no live performances);
- Hair salons and barbers (protective measures like visors will be mandatory);
- Libraries, community centres and bingo halls;
- Cinemas, museums and galleries;
- Funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks, amusement arcades, skating rinks and model villages;
- Indoor attractions where animals are exhibited, such as at zoos, aquariums, farms, safari parks and wildlife centres;
- Weddings with a maximum of 30 attendees.
The following activities won’t resume from 4 July:
- Nightclubs and casinos;
- Bowling alleys and indoor skating rinks;
- Indoor play areas including soft-play;
- Spas;
- Nail bars and beauty salons;
- Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours;
- Indoor fitness and dance studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities;
- Swimming pools and water parks;
- Nightclubs and casinos;
- Bowling alleys and indoor skating rinks;
- Indoor play areas including soft-play;
- Spas;
- Nail bars and beauty salons;
- Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours;
- Indoor fitness and dance studios, and indoor gyms and sports venues/facilities;
- Swimming pools and water parks;
- Exhibition or conference centres
Photo credit: Casey Horner
