Everything you need to know about today's lockdown announcements

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 23 June 2020

UPDATED: 23 June 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson today announced a raft of measures aimed at easing the lockdown and restarting the economy as it looks to recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said that pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers will all be able to open from 4 July, with a new ‘one metre plus’ social distancing rule in place.

Theatres and music halls will also be allowed to reopen, but they will not be able to hold live performances, while weddings will also be allowed to take place with up to 30 guests. However, a large number of businesses including nail bars, conference centres and leisure venues will remain locked down for the time being.

And families and households will be able to meet indoors for the first time since March under new guidelines announced today.

Here's a full run-down of what's been announced today, and what it might mean for you and your business:

Social distancing 

• From 4 July, the two-metre social distancing guidance will change in England, but will remain in place in Scotland and Wales for the time being
• New guidance states that while people should continue to make every effort to stay at least two metres apart from one another, where this is not possible, people should keep a distance of 'one metre plus'
• This means staying one metre apart, while observing precautions to reduce the risk of transmission

Hospitality

• Restaurants, bars and pubs in England will be allowed to re-open, provided they follow safety guidelines
• All indoor hospitality will be limited to table service
• Contact between staff and customers will be limited
• Customers will also have to give their contact details when they enter a pub or restaurant

 

Holiday accommodation

• Holiday venues including hotels, B&Bs, cottages, campsites and caravan parks can reopen
• People in England will be free to stay away from home overnight for the first time since lockdown began

Family and friends

• People from two households of any size will be able to meet indoors or outside
• They would have to continue to maintain social distancing, unless they were part of the same support bubble.
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• It will be possible to stay overnight
• This is not limited to the same set of households, meaning people will be able to visit one set of grandparents one weekend, and the other set the followjng week, for example
• Outdoors, people from multiple households can meet in groups of up to six

Other announcements 

• More outdoor spaces will be allowed to re-open if they can do so safely
• Hairdressers will be able to reopen, as long as they take precautions
• Close-contact services such as nail bars and tattoo parlours won't re-open on 4 July, but will be allowed to once Government is 'confident they can operate safely'
• Libraries, community centres, bingo halls, cinemas, museums, funfairs, theme parks, amusement arcades, outdoor skating rinks, indoor leisure centres, social clubs and model villages will be able to re-open
• Places of worship can re-open for prayers and services, while weddings with up to 30 guests can also take place, subject to social distancing
• Nightclubs, casinos, bowling alleys, spas, swimming pools and indoor soft play centres will remain closed
• Theatres and concert halls can re-open, but won't be able to host live performances just yet

Local reaction

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), said: “A lot of businesses across the East Midlands are chomping at the bit to restart their operations and the measures and guidance announced today will enable some of them to reopen safely and start building the recovery.

“The relaxation of the two-metre rule will help firms to reopen their premises and increase capacity, although the ongoing need to protect health and prevent the spread of the virus means that we won’t see a return to business as usual for some time.

“The key thing many businesses need right now is focused support to help them transition their staff out of furlough and back into the workplace, adapt their operations, and return to pre-lockdown levels of economic performance.

“Recent economic data has made for grim reading, but broader efforts to boost business – on top of the numerous and welcome interventions that Government has made – should help to unlock pent-up demand, boost business and consumer confidence and help firms to build a swift and sustainable recovery.”

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