What are the face mask rules for public transport in Manchester from July 19?
Some forms of public transport will continue to ask passengers to use face coverings beyond July 19 - the date that masks stop becoming a legal requirement.
July 19 spells the end for the vast majority of COVID-19 restrictions in the UK – marking the final step on a roadmap out of a national lockdown which has stretched on for seven months.
Social distancing is being stopped. Mass gatherings are being permitted. And nightclubs are all reopening. Life is apparently heading towards something resembling normality once again. But it’s all happening at a peculiar time.
COVID-19 cases are at their highest point since January – prompting some to argue that certain restrictions should remain in place.
The government has already postponed its ‘Freedom Day’ by a month – with the UK originally scheduled to come out of restrictions on June 21. But whilst infection rates continue to spike, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has argued that the reopening should now go ahead – stating that “if we couldn’t open up in the coming weeks, then when could we?”
The biggest point of contention, however, has remained the use of face coverings.
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In most instances, the use of masks will no longer be a legal requirement past July 19 but rather a recommendation – with Transport Minister Grant Shapps announcing that transport companies can decide their own rules.
With that in mind, here are the restrictions for public transport in Manchester.
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Do I have to wear a mask on the Metrolink?
Face coverings will remain compulsory on Greater Manchester’s Metrolink service beyond July 19.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham confirmed earlier this week that wearing a mask will be required across the network until further notice.
Failure to comply with these Conditions of Carriage could see passengers refused travel and/or fined up to £100.
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Burnham has also been working with other Mayors in England as part of a campaign to encourage the government to reverse its decision on masks nationwide – saying the “best solution is to continue the national requirement” for face coverings on all transport.
The Mayor stated: “There are around 200,000 people in Greater Manchester who are clinically vulnerable and I believe the Government’s decision to drop the requirement to wear face masks on public transport could put those people more at risk when using public transport, or force them off altogether.
“I do not believe they should be put in that unfair position.
“I have been listening to people’s concerns and, in response, have decided to continue to require the wearing of face coverings on Metrolink.”
Do I have to wear a mask on the bus or train?
It is up to the transport operator as to whether the use of masks will be enforced on buses or trains in Greater Manchester – as they do not fall under the remit of the Mayor.
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The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), which represents major bus and coach operators such as National Express and Megabus, said it will not be making masks a requirement past July 19.
A CPT statement reads: “We expect that many people, especially in busy places, will follow the Prime Minister’s call to continue to wear a face covering as a courtesy to others.
“Passengers, though, will find it difficult to understand why the Prime Minister has singled out public transport as somewhere to wear a face covering when a range of other activities share its characteristics.
“We now need to see clear guidance for operators and customers but, in the absence of regulations, it is important that we respect everyone’s right to choose whether to wear a face covering.”
Train industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) announced that most domestic train operators, such as Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Southeastern will not require passengers to use face coverings on board.
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An RDG spokesman said: “Rail companies will ask people to follow the Government guidance and, out of respect for others, wear face coverings if an indoor setting is busy.
“Train travel is low-risk, with the majority of carriages well ventilated by air conditioning systems or by doors and windows.”
Eurostar, however, will ask passengers to continue wearing masks beyond July 19.
British Airways, EasyJet, Virgin and Ryanair, have specified that masks will be required on board their flights.
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The UK looks set for a ’30°C heatwave’ this summer, according to weather expert
Danny Jones
It’s been a bit of an up-and-down spring but the warm weather is finally starting to arrive here in Manchester, with temperatures reaching up to 21°C this week and the summery vibes only set to increase over the next month or so as meteorologists are predicting a 30°C heatwave soon enough.
March onwards has been a pure mix of blustery winds, grey skies and flashes of rainfall, with just a few glimpses of sun peeking through and the thermometer has still been struggling to get into double digits – until now anyway.
As we leave April behind, the forecast across the UK is looking a lot brighter and according to the likes of the Met Office, those numbers are going to keep creeping as we head deeper into the month.
In fact, some experts are predicting that Britain could be set for a heatwave with temperatures of 30°C and over in just over a month’s time. It better bloody hurry up, put it that way.
According to Jim Dale, Senior Meteorologist at British Weather Services, while much of May will be a bit of a mixed bag, “towards the latter stage and into June and July… we will see climbing temperatures well into the 30s in the prone areas.”
As reported by Birmingham Live, while Dale didn’t detail the kind of heat Manchester can expect, specifically, the indication is that the region is beginning to dry and the country as a whole is now heading “in the right direction”.
Although it likely won’t be until the very tail end of May that we start to see the summer as we know rolling in, the trends around the continent are suggesting positive signs, adding that “a lot of Europe is getting the scorching hot temperatures” of late.
The Met Office’s Tom Morgan also warned The Guardian that we get anything close to a heatwave this month, so we’ll have to be patient and wait for the turn come June time, especially up North.
While we did enjoy a heatwave in September of last year, hitting a top end of 33.5°C, the chances of the country challenging the most recent temperature record sat back in 2022 (40.3°C in July 2023) are still looking slim.
April has been described as a “month of two halves” overall and let’s just say we’re looking forward to a strong showing this May.
Where in Greater Manchester are you most looking forward to heading when summer finally arrives?
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Dunk (via Flickr)
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Co-op Live assures fans arena WILL open this week in time for Olivia Rodrigo and other gigs
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s huge new arena the Co-op Live has assured fans that it will definitely, actually, for sure open this week.
The staggering new music venue beside the Etihad Stadium has been hit by a couple of high-profile delays in the last fortnight.
Although a test event with Rick Astley went ahead on 21 April, giving a small audience a glimpse inside the state-of-the-art arena, the brakes were slammed on soon afterwards.
Co-op Live pushed its opening date back while it ironed out some kinks, namely ‘power supply issues’, and underwent rigorous testing to ‘run all shows safely’.
That meant Peter Kay was rescheduled to 29 and 30 April… but then got postponed again, along with The Black Keys, who were meant to perform last weekend.
All the delays have left fans panicking that their shows will also be delayed, with some huge shows like Olivia Rodrigo, Take That, and Liam Gallagher lined up in the coming weeks and months.
But Co-op Live has now issued a statement reassuring gig-goers that they are full steam ahead and ready to open as planned this week.
The first act to perform here officially will now be A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie on 1 May (not quite as local a name as they were gunning for, but we move).
He’ll be followed by Olivia Rodrigo and her Guts Tour, who will perform two sold-out gigs on 3 and 4 May.
Then Keane will play the Co-op Live on 5 May to mark 20 years since the release of Hopes and Fears.
Co-op Live posted: “Let’s do this! Less than 48 hours until we kick off our full opening season.
“Our scheduled shows with @aboogievsartist, @oliviarodrigo and @keaneofficial are going ahead.
“Ticket holders can expect an email with everything they need to know about this week’s events to land in your inboxes tomorrow!”
Fans have breathed a sigh of relief at the news, with one person writing: “YAY THANK GOD OMG THIS IS AMAZING WAS LITERALLY HAVJNG A MENTAL BREAKDOWN BOUT OLIVIA BEING CANCELLED.”
Another commented: “THANK GOD!!! 4th mayyyy.”
Someone else posted: “IM SO HAPPY AHHHHHH I’VE BEEN NERVOUS ALL WEEK BUT NOW I KNOW ITS GONNA BE FINE AHHH.”
Olivia Rodrigo fans are BIG believers in an all-caps comment, clearly.
Co-op Live will open in Manchester on Wednesday 1 May.
It’s going to be worth the wait, we’re pretty sure…