UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Friday a plan for a “significant return to normalcy” in the UK as soon as Christmas, as the government seeks to reverse the restrictions that were implemented in response to the coronavirus.
“I sincerely hope that we can review the pending restrictions and allow for a more meaningful return to normalcy starting in November, as soon as possible, possibly in time for Christmas,” Johnson said.
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Johnson said the plan was conditional on numbers remaining low and avoiding a second wave. But he said that for three weeks, the number of cases identified by testing each day has been less than 1,000.
The United Kingdom, one of the countries most affected by the virus, has slowly reopened, while imposing new measures of social distancing, such as the use of mandatory masks in shops and public transport, but not in offices.
Johnson said he wanted to take a more specific approach, giving local authorities greater capabilities to close venues and spaces, while drafting regulations on how the government could impose local blockades or close sectors in an area where there is a spike in cases.
But for the reopening, he said that from July 25, gyms, swimming pools and other sports facilities will be opened, and in August leisure activities such as skating, casinos, beauticians and bowling alleys will be opened.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the Prime Minister’s weekly questioning session, in Parliament in London, on Wednesday July 15, 2020. (AP Photo / Frank Augstein)
Employers will have more discretion about how staff could return to work safely, although the government continues to encourage people to work from home whenever possible.
In the fall, schools will reopen completely. Meanwhile, indoor performances will begin to reopen, and Johnson said he hopes sporting events can have audiences in October.
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“Even when we plan for the worst, I firmly believe that we should expect the best,” he said.
The UK has a death toll of 45,000, the highest in Europe and one of the highest worldwide, and was also one of the countries to apply some of the toughest blocking measures in response to the virus.
It is feared that a bad winter flu season, combined with a spike in coronavirus, may overwhelm the country’s National Health Service. Johnson announced that $ 3.8 billion would go to the NHS to help him cope with any second wave, and specially made “Nightingale hospitals” that were largely unused will remain open until March.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
