There will be many changes to the lockdown rules coming into effect on the 4th July following the Prime Minister’s announcement in the House of commons this afternoon.
Here is a summary
The two metre rule
The Prime Minister set out that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.
The Government will oday publishing guidance on how businesses can reduce the risk by taking certain steps to protect workers and customers.These include, for instance, avoiding face-to-face seating by changing office layouts,reducing the number of people in enclosed spaces,improving ventilation,using protective screens and face coverings,
closing non-essential social spaces,providing hand sanitiser and changing shift patterns so that staff work in set teams.
Overnight stays
Provided that no more than two households stay together,people will be free to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation,including hotels and bed & breakfasts,as well as campsites as long as shared facilities are kept clean.
Meeting friends and relatives
Two households of any size should be able to meet in any setting inside or out.That does not mean they must always be the same two households.It will be possible for instance to meet one set of grandparents one weekend, and the others the following weekend.We are not recommending meetings of multiple households indoors because of the risk of creating greater chains of transmission.
Outside, the guidance remains that people from several households can meet in groups of up to six,and it follows that two households can also meet, regardless of size.
Restaurants and pubs
These will reopen but all hospitality indoors will be limited to table-service, and guidance will encourage minimal staff and customer contact.The Government will ask businesses to help NHS Test and Trace respond to any local outbreaks by collecting contact details from customers, as happens in other countries.
Beauty
Hairdressers will open with appropriate precautions, including the use of visors.It is also intended to allow some other close contact services, such as nail bars, to re-open as soon as we can, when the Govrnment is confident they can operate in a Covid-secure way.
Most leisure facilities and tourist attractions
These will reopen if they can do so safely and will include outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, museums, galleries, theme parks and arcades as well as libraries, social clubs and community centres.
Remaining closed
“Close proximity” venues such as nightclubs, soft-play areas, indoor gyms, swimming pools and spas will need to remain closed for now, as will bowling alleys and water parks.
Business and Culture Secretaries will establish taskforces with public health experts and these sectors to help them become Covid-secure and re-open as soon as possible.The Government will also work with the arts industry on specific guidance to enable choirs, orchestras and theatres to resume live performances as soon as possible.
Recreation and sport will be allowed, but indoor facilities, including changing rooms and courts, will remain closed and people should only play close contact team sports with members of their household.
Places of worship
Places of worship will be able to reopen for prayer and services –including weddings with a maximum of 30 people,all subject to social distancing.
