“There will be many people who’ll be worried that we’re being too ambitious and that it’s arrogant to try to impose any kind of plan on a virus. I agree we must always be humble in the face of nature.” said Boris Johnson as he announced his so called roadmap to ending lockdown.
Announcing a four step approach with at least five weeks between each step, he says, to ensure they know the impact of each step and by the 21st June, all limits on social contacts should be lifted.
“There is no credible route to a zero COVID Britain” said the Prime Minister as he set out the four steps
adding
“we cannot persist indefinitely with restrictions that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental well-being, and the life chances of our children.”
Step one from March 8th will see schools return, and face to face teaching will be supported by twice weekly testing of secondary school and college pupils and Breakfast and after-school club can restart, along with school activities.
University students who require onsite lectures can also return, with a review for other students at the Easter holidays.
People will also be able to meet one other person for outdoor socialising, says the Prime Minister and care home residents can have one regular visitor.
From the 29th March, the stay at home rule will end and the ‘rule of six’ returns
This means two families, who potentially together total more than six people, will be allowed to meet. This can happen in both outdoor public spaces and in back gardens.
Step Two will begin on April 12th when non essential retail and hairdressers while Indoor gyms, holiday lets and other personal care such as nail salons will also reopen.
Pubs and restaurants will also be able to repen outdoors.
Step 3 will begin on the May 17th when groups of up to six people and two households meet indoors.Pubs and restaurants can open indoors and Hotels and B&Bs can open
Entertainment venues can open too, including cinemas and theatres. New rules will be in place for different sizes of venues.For huge outdoor seated venues there is a special limit. Up to 10,000 attendees will be allowed or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower.
Step 4 will begin on June 21st when as Jiohnson said “we will aim to remove all legal limits on social contact and on weddings and other life events, we will reopen everything up to and including nightclubs and enable large events such as theatre performances above the limits of step three – potentially using testing to reduce the risk of infection”.
Reacting to the statement,Tony Danker, CBI Director-General:
“The Prime Minister’s roadmap offers hope that the country can get back to business in the coming months.
“The roadmap is a good starting point to the hard yards ahead and caution is rightly the watchword. Business backs the step-by-step approach to re-opening and put an end to damaging stop-start restrictions. And getting children back into the classroom first is as much a priority for business as it is for families across the country.
“We now need to turn this roadmap into genuine economic momentum. The Budget is the second half of this announcement – extending business support in parallel to restrictions will give firms a bridge to the other side. This is particularly needed for sectors who will have to wait for up to three months to re-open and have an anxious 10 days ahead before the Budget.
“Meanwhile businesses are committed to working with government to refresh practical guidance for firms and to fast-track the roll out of tests in workplaces in the months ahead.
“With good news coming every day on the vaccines, the roadmap offers a pragmatic and safe route out of lockdown in England. Businesses will play their full part in doing so with public health in mind and the confidence to kickstart a recovery.”
