Boris Johnson today dramatically unwound the coronavirus lockdown, declaring that pubs, haircuts and weddings can return and giving family and friends the green light to meet up indoors for the first time in months.
Throwing the dice to save the stricken economy, the PM told the Commons that England is coming out of ‘hibernation’ with bars, restaurants, cinemas and hairdressers able to get back up and running from July 4 – dubbed ‘Super Saturday’.
He announced that the social distancing rule is being halved to ‘one metre plus’ to free up thousands of business, with precautions such as face masks deployed to make sure the risks of transmission stay ‘broadly’ the same.
Staycations are also back on the agenda, with hotels, campsites and holiday cottages permitted as long as they comply with ‘Covid secure’ guidelines. Church services – including wedding ceremonies for up to 30 people – can restart, but there is a ban on singing as it poses a ‘particular’ threat of spread.
Two households will be allowed to gather indoors, in their homes or at a restaurant or museum, with no limit on numbers. Currently there is a ceiling of six people outdoors, which was seen as disadvantaging bigger families.
But they will have to observe social distancing, meaning grandparents will have to wait a bit longer to hug their grandchildren. A mooted expansion of social ‘bubbles’ to allow people to mix freely has seemingly been shelved.
Nail bars, gyms and swimming pools will also remain off limits after officials decided they are currently too dangerous to operate.
Mr Johnson insisted the overhaul has been approved by medical chief Chris Whitty and science chief Patrick Vallance. He said a ‘new but cautious optimism is palpable’ in the country, and the ‘bustle’ was returning to the streets. ‘Today we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end.’
However, in a sign of the risks involved, Mr Johnson warned that there ‘will be flare ups’ and changes will be reversed immediately if people abuse the new rules.
‘We have been clear that our cautious relaxation of the guidance is entirely conditional on our continued defeat of the virus,’ he told MPs.
One politician shouted ‘hallelujah’ in the chamber as Mr Johnson revealed that pubs can come back.
‘Slowly but surely these changes will restore a sense of normality,’ the premier said.
The relaxation – which will take effect the US Independence Day – comes amid growing optimism that the virus is finally dwindling.
Yesterday’s death toll rose by 15 – the lowest figure since March 13, ten days before the lockdown began.
In other developments on a crucial day in the coronavirus crisis:
- The number of excess deaths in the UK since the coronavirus outbreak began has passed 65,000, according to the ONS – but the rate has slowed;
- Former chancellor Sajid Javid has called for a ‘significant temporary’ cut in national insurance to boost the economic recovery, making it cheaper for employers to take on staff;
- Charities have expressed concern over plans for 2.2 million of the most vulnerable people in England to stop shielding from the end of July;
- Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned a local lockdown could be imposed on the island of Anglesey following a coronavirus outbreak at a chicken processing plant;
- NHS Blood and Transplant has called for more men who have had Covid-19 to donate blood plasma to establish if it can be used to treat sufferers following evidence they produce more antibodies than women.
Boris Johnson unveiled steps to ease lockdown in the Commons today, but warned that the changes will be reversed immediately if people abuse the new rules and the disease flares up again
In a sombre speech in the Commons, Mr Johnson said the disease was leaving ‘scars’.
Mr Johnson insisted ‘caution’ would remain the ‘watchword’. But he said it was now possible to ‘safely’ ease the lockdown.
‘We continue to meet our five tests and the chief medical officers of all four home nations have downgraded the coronavirus alert level from four to three, meaning we no olonger face a virus spreaduing exponentially although it remains in general circulation.’
Mr Johnson said people should still maintain a two-metre distance where possible.
But he added: ‘Where it is not we will advise people to keep a safe distance of one metre plus, meaning they should remain one metre apart, while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission.
‘We are today 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.
‘And of course, we already mandate face coverings on public transport.
‘Whilst the experts cannot give a precise assessment of how much the risk is reduced, they judge these mitigations would make ‘1 metre plus’ broadly equivalent to the risk at two metres if those mitigations are fully implemented.
‘Either will be acceptable and our guidance will change accordingly.’
Mr Johnson said he was aware that the public will ask questions about seeming inconsistencies .
‘We cannot lift all the restrictions at once so we have to make difficult judgements.’
Mr Johnson said two household will be able to meet up in any indoor setting, with no limit on total numbers.
Pointing out that the arrangements between groups did not have to be exclusive, he added: ‘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.’
But Mr Johnson said: ‘We are not recommending meetings of multiple households indoors.’
Outdoors, the maximum of six people meeting from different households remains. But there is no limit on a meeting between two households.
Mr Johnson said: ‘Almost as eagerly awaited as a pint will be a haircut,’ he said.
The PM insisted nail bars would be open ‘as soon as we can’.
Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer said more reassurance was needed about the scientific evidence underpinning the overhaul.
But noting that the PM had given him advance notice of what was coming, he said: ‘We welcome the thrust of this statement.’
As Mr Johnson was speaking in Westminster, Nicola Sturgeon told her daily briefing in Edinburgh that the two metre rule will not be eased in Scotland yet.
Ms Sturgeon said she would be announcing dates for moving to the next phases of the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown tomorrow, ahead of when she had planned to do so.
She said: ‘Tomorrow, I’ll be able to provide further detail on the timing of some of the specific steps in that journey.
‘I’ll be able to do so tomorrow ahead of when I thought just a few days ago that might be possible.’
On social distancing, the First Minister said the scientific advice was still in support of two metres.
But she added that the Scottish Government’s scientific advisory group has been asked to look into the possibility of reducing physical distancing in some settings.
They are expected to report to the First Minister by July 2.
She said: ‘Until then, the position here in Scotland remains the same. We are asking people to keep two metres physical distancing.
‘Any changes from other parts of the UK, while we will look at the evidence underpinning those very carefully, will not apply here at this stage.’
In more evidence of splits within the UK, Mr Johnson criticised the five-mile limit on travel from home imposed by the Labour administration in Wales.
‘I have my doubts about the five mile rule in Wales and wondered whether that might be reviewed,’ he said.
He later swiped that Welsh First Minister Mark Drakefored appeared to be suffering from ‘blessed amnesia’, after complaining that he had not had contact from Westminster.
He said the UK government was in ‘daily contact’ with the devolved administrations.
‘I am not sure the five mile limit rule is entirely necessary and perhaps that needs to be withdrawn,’ Mr Johnson added.
Some 2.2million vulnerable people who have been ‘shielding’ for more than three months were yesterday told they could finally leave their homes from July 6.
The focus of the attempted economic revival is on activities that can take place outdoors.
Ministers will bring forward legislation this week to give fast-track approval for pubs and restaurants to put seating outdoors, and small shops will be encouraged to set up stalls outside their premises.
The package of measures was finalised by the Cabinet today before Mr Johnson made the announcements in a statement to Parliament.
Many indoor venues, including cinemas, museums and art galleries, will be allowed to reopen next week provided they take measures to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.
Mr Johnson also confirmed the end of the two-metre rule, with businesses allowed to operate a one-metre rule as long as they introduce other measures to cut the virus risk.
At a meeting of senior ministers and officials last night, Downing Street permanent secretary Simon Case, who led a review of the rule, said case numbers were now low enough to reduce the guidance to ‘one metre plus’.
But businesses will have to take precautions such as encouraging the use of masks, seating people side by side rather than face to face, and improving ventilation.
Other suggestions include installing perspex screens, while customers at pubs and bars may have to sign guest books so they could be traced if they come into contact with someone who is infected.
A Downing Street source warned: ‘We are only able to move forward this week because the vast majority of people have taken steps to control the virus.
‘But the more we open up, the more important it is that everyone follows the social distancing guidelines. We will not hesitate to reverse these steps if it is necessary to stop the virus running out of control.’
The changes will only apply in England for now.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, yesterday suggested the Government was acting in a ‘reckless’ way.
She said it was ‘very tempting’ to ease restrictions when death rates were falling, but said fresh outbreaks in Germany and China underlined the need for caution.
But Matt Hancock said official data on the epidemic supported the case for relaxing the rules.
The number of new cases fell to 958, the lowest figure since lockdown began on March 23.
The Health Secretary told the daily No 10 briefing last night: ‘A month ago, one in 400 people had the virus; now it is one in 1,700 and we can ease the lockdown.’
Today’s package of measures is expected to produce the biggest single relaxation of the lockdown so far.
One Whitehall source said it was ‘effectively the end of lockdown’ – although large gatherings will remain banned, theatres and nightclubs will have to stay closed, and modified social distancing rules will remain in place.
Cinemas will only be able to have customers in every other seat.
Museums and galleries will have to operate one-way systems and limit numbers.
Hairdressers will be required to take steps such as wearing personal protective equipment and to cut the small talk to limit the spread of the virus.
Pubs and restaurants will also be allowed to reopen, but with a heavy focus on the outdoors.
The change to the two-metre rule will mean that tables can be placed one metre apart, provided they are side by side.
The PM is expected to confirm that from July 4 the British tourist industry can reopen, giving millions the hope of a ‘staycation’ in the UK this summer.
Hotels, guesthouses, campsites, caravan parks and self-catering properties will all be permitted to reopen if they act to prevent the spread of the virus.
Owners of second homes will also be allowed to visit them again.
The scope of the changes have alarmed some experts.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) representative warned the UK has to be careful, but praised progress in bringing the number of infections down, .
Dr Margaret Harris told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘The lesson is for people to understand this is the year of living differently.
‘Not, ‘OK, it’s over’. You haven’t just been let out of school.
‘You have done well. You have really brought down your numbers.
‘The UK has brought a very difficult outbreak right down.
‘Very good news in the last couple of days about the limitation in cases, and far, far fewer people dying.
‘So, now is the moment to celebrate that by being super careful.’
Lucy Yardley, professor of health psychology at the University of Bristol and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Newsnight there was a ‘danger’ that some people thought lockdown had ended.
Professor Yardley said ‘you could argue that we were never so much listening to the Government as doing what we thought was right at the right time’ and added it ‘would be much harder’ to impose lockdown for a second time.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Today: ‘I appreciate many people do want to see things starting to get back to whatever that new normal will be.’
Pressed on how social distancing would be enforced in reopened pubs, he said: ‘If we are able to say to pubs, and other establishments, that they are able to open in the near future, we will be issuing guidelines as well.
‘So that they can have some confidence about what is expected of them to create a safe environment.’
Mr Lewis said: ‘One of the things we will be issuing, once we make these decisions today, and the Prime Minister makes his announcement, will be guidelines for all of us as individuals, and as employers, to look at how we act and practise in a safe and healthy environment as we go forward.’
He added: ‘I think the reality is we are all going to have to get used to this new kind of normal as we go forward, where we have to take some self-responsibility.’
New figures showed the number of excess deaths in the UK since the coronavirus outbreak began has passed 65,000.
Excess deaths are the number of deaths that are above the five-year average for the time period.
The Office for National Statistics recorded 59,252 in England and Wales between March 21 and June 12.
Last week the National Records of Scotland found there were 4,877 excess deaths between March 16 and June 14, while the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency put the figure for Northern Ireland at 972 excess deaths between March 28 and June 12.
Together, this means the total number of excess deaths in the UK across this period now stands at 65,101.
All figures are based on death registrations.
The 559 excess deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending June 12 was the lowest number since the week ending March 20.
In the week ending June 12, the number of deaths in hospitals was below the five-year average.
This was the second week in a row there had been no excess deaths in this setting.
There were still excess deaths registered in both care homes and private homes during this week, although the number was down on the previous seven days.
Meanwhile, former chancellor Sajid Javid has warned that an immediate economic bounceback from the coronavirus crisis is unlikely.
In a joint report with the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) think-tank, Tory MP Mr Javid called for national insurance to be given a ‘significant temporary’ reduction to make it cheaper for employers to take on staff.
The former Cabinet minister, who resigned from the Treasury in February, said ‘early hopes of a V-shaped recovery’ had ‘proved optimistic’.
He predicted that ‘some long-term damage to the economy’ had become ‘unavoidable’, with as many as 2.5 million people out of work due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
But in order to speed up the rate of people re-entering employment, Mr Javid argued in the report After The Virus, published on Tuesday, that ministers must make it easier for businesses to hire workers.
‘If we want to support and stimulate employment, then axiomatically the best option is to cut the payroll tax – employer’s National Insurance,’ Mr Javid and the CPS said.
‘Tax employment less, and all other things being equal you will end up with more of it.’
Other recommendations made in the report include temporarily cutting VAT and bringing forward ‘shovel ready’ infrastructure projects, with Mr Javid arguing that the ‘only way out of this crisis is growth’.
He added in a column for The Daily Telegraph: ‘With an unrelenting focus on growth and our hardest-hit areas, it is possible not only to rebuild our economy, but to set it on even firmer foundations than before.’
He joins fellow former chancellor Alistair Darling in calling for an emergency VAT cut to boost consumer spending, a move undertaken by the Labour peer after the 2008 financial crisis.
Shaggy-haired Britons will be desperate to get their mops cut as soon as lockdown rules are further eased.
But customers could face a three-month waiting list for a trim and some salons said they will reopen at midnight to clear the huge backlog.
Appointments are already full for the first two weeks after doors swing open, with one London hairdresser preparing to work through a 2,000-strong queue.
Parlours are among businesses expected to reopen in England from July 4 in a move dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ by some MPs.
Northern Ireland salons are set to reopen on July 6, Wales will be open for appointment only from July 13, but no date has been announced for Scotland.
It will come as a relief to the public, who have either had a crack at their own barnets or left them to grow uncontrollably for three months.
It will also bring joy to the 600,000 employees from 50,000 businesses across the country who have been off work.
But hairdressers will not look the same after lockdown, with some of the proposed changes being:
- Appointments to be made remotely, with no dropping in on the day of the haircut
- Temperature testing for clients and staff on arrival
- Waiting outside might be required until a customer is ushered in by their stylist
- Reception desk will have a Perspex screen or be completely gone
- Payments will be contactless, with no cash tipping
- Chairs will be spaced out to observe social distancing guidelines
- Stylists will wear masks and gowns that are changed after each client
- Clients will be asked to wear masks and leave jewellery, handbags and coats at home wherever possible
- Luxuries of tea, coffee and magazines will not be provided, so customers should bring their own
- Hand sanitisers will be dotted throughout the salon
- Juniors will not be assisting stylists, but sanitising sinks and surfaces between clients
Hellen Ward from Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London said before they start cutting they need to assess the damage clients have done to themselves.
She said there were already 2,000 people on the waiting list, making it a three-month wait for some customers.
She told the Telegraph: ‘It will take a while, partly because we have to work out what they have done to their hair during lockdown to work out how long a booking will take.’
Meanwhile The Chair in Canterbury, Kent, revealed it will open from midnight to 4pm on July 4 to get a head start on the backlog.
Owner Katie Hancock and another hairdresser are readying for the night shift before other workers start in the morning.
The move will only be for the first day, but the salon’s normal opening hours will be extended like many across the country.
Ms Hancock said: ‘Obviously the health and safety of our clients and stylists is the priority. All of our services will take a bit longer than usual.’
The future of Britain’s hospitality sector: How pubs, hairdressers and hotels will look in the post-lockdown era
PUBS
Drinkers would be expected to give their contact details in a register, so that they can be traced if it emerges later that someone infected was in the venue.
Customers could be advised to order using an app, stand as far apart as possible, face away from each other where they can, and prefer outside spaces.
RESTAURANTS
Tables could be closer together than two metres as long as people can face away from each other, and there may be advice for ‘side-sitting’ when people are dining together.
Rules could be slacker for those who dine outside.
Disposable cutlery might be needed in many restaurants, and there will be thorough cleaning in between guests.
Booking is likely to be compulsory in formal settings.
TRAINS AND PLANES
Face coverings have already been made compulsory on public transport, with passengers who break the rules risking fines.
Reducing the minimum distance will increase the potential for trains, Tube and buses to run at higher capacity – allowing more people to go back to work.
Airlines will also benefit from lowering the spacing requirement, which they had warned could make it economically impossible to run flights. Face coverings will again be relied on to help reduce the risk of transmission, along with temperature checks.
There is the possibility that some seating could be reconfigured to limit how many people face each other, and screens could also be deployed.
Under a two-metre social distancing rule on carriages and platforms, the Underground will only be able to accommodate 50,000 passengers boarding every 15 minutes – a massive reduction on the 320,000 people every 15 minutes during normal peak times
HAIRDRESSERS
The hairdressing experience will be vastly different than before lockdown, with stylists required to take steps to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The National Hair and Beauty Federation released a set of guidelines last month to help businesses prepare themselves for reopening.
It suggested walk-in salons switch to an appointment-only system, or offer timed tickets to allow customers to ‘reserve’ their slot and return at the designated time.
To reduce the amount of time a customer spends in the chair, salons have been advised to trial online consultations where they will be able to discuss treatments.
SHOPS
Perspex screens, face coverings and ‘quarantine’ for goods handled by customers are already being used to reduce the potential for spread.
But cutting the social distancing will benefit smaller shops in particular, and help boost footfall.
More people will be allowed in shops at once. It is also possible that browsing could be time limited to curb the length of exposure – which along with distance is a key component in spreading the virus.
HOTELS
Those who are planning a getaway can expect hotels to be significantly different to those they visited before the coronavirus outbreak.
After making your reservation, visitors should expect a pre-visit health questionnaire to land in their inbox, asking if they have recently had coronavirus symptoms.
Check-in times are likely to be staggered, or set later in the afternoon, to allow for deep cleaning of rooms. At the seven-strong collection of The Pig Hotels in south-west England, for example, this has switched from 3 pm to 4 pm.
Valet parking and baggage handling could also be a thing of the past, though luggage may be disinfected on arrival.
Protective screens, distance-marking lines and one-way routes may be implemented in larger properties.
Hotel bars, if they are opened, will likely be table service only, while dining tables will be arranged to satisfy the two-metre rule, and probably be without linen.
Room service is also encouraged with many properties dropping the tray charge. Menu choices are likely to be restricted and delivery will be only to the bedroom door.
