Image copyright
PA Media
The Prime Minister described the easing of closure restrictions in England on Saturday as “the biggest step on the road to recovery.”
He urged people to act “safely” as many businesses open, including restaurants, hair salons, and movie theaters.
But the prime minister warned that “we are not yet out of the woods yet,” adding that he “would not hesitate” to re-impose restrictions if there were spikes in the Covid-19 cases.
Most of the latest relaxation measures will take effect at 00:01 BST.
However, pubs should wait until 06:00 BST as a “precaution” to avoid midnight parties.
“The success of these businesses, the livelihood of those who trust them, and ultimately the economic health of the entire country depends on each of us acting responsibly,” Boris Johnson said in a briefing on Downing Street. .
“We must not disappoint them.”
Johnson said he wanted people to “enjoy the summer safely.”
Bar visitors are invited to reserve tables in advance, while live concerts and standing at the bar will not be allowed.
The prime minister also said the government’s strategy would move from “general national measures” to “specific local measures.”
He added that “good progress” was being made regarding the reopening of other businesses, such as beauty salons and nightclubs, and that a schedule will be established next week.
Coronavirus outbreaks are inevitable.
The virus is now at much lower levels, but it has not disappeared and may never disappear. Until we have a vaccine, it will always pose a threat.
We have already seen outbreaks in Leicester, Weston-super-Mare and Kirklees. Relaxing blocking will make them more common.
Remember, this is a virus that thrives on close contact: the more people we have contact, the more the coronavirus will spread. It was true in March when the shutdown came in, and it’s true now.
However, outbreaks are not a massive problem as long as they can be contained.
If they can be detected and stopped quickly, an outbreak can cause a local outage, but not “National Shutdown Two.” This will be the challenge for NHS testing and tracking.
However, some scientists are concerned that the blockade will be lifted too quickly and that we may not yet be aware of the virus.
The danger of not stopping an outbreak could cause the coronavirus to spread widely and cases to increase.
