England unlocks: What COVID rules are changing from July 19?
July 19 marks the end of most lockdown restrictions in England in 2021 - with changes being made on the legal use of masks, social distancing and mass gatherings.
England is officially lifting almost all of the remaining lockdown restrictions today as the country prepares for life without COVID curbs.
Significant changes are being made to legislation nationwide surrounding the use of face masks, social distancing, mass gatherings, and working from home.
Businesses which have been forced to close since the beginning of the pandemic – such as nightclubs – are also permitted to reopen from July 19.
The end of lockdown comes after an initial delay, which saw the government push its final roadmap step back by one month to buy more time to vaccinate higher numbers of the population.
Masks will no longer be a legal requirement in England / Image: Matteo Jorjoson via Unsplash
COVID case numbers in the UK are at their highest since January – averaging more than 42,000 per day.
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As the country unlocks, experts are predicting that numbers could exceed 200,000 per day in a matter of weeks.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid is now isolating after testing positive for the virus, and whilst close contacts Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak briefly flirted with the idea of dodging isolation as a part of a pilot scheme (where they’d test every day instead of staying at home), the duo have instead decided to isolate – along with more than a half-a-million fellow Brits who have also been told to do so by track and trace.
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The increasing numbers of people being infected and/or urged to quarantine has dampened spirits on what was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the country. But England’s lockdown exit is pressing on regardless – and here is everything that is set to change from today.
Note the below guidance applies to England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulations.
Are social distancing rules still in place from July 19?
Social distancing will end on July 19 / Image: Gustavo Fring via Pexels
Social distancing recommendations – such as being asked to stay 2 metres apart – are being largely removed from July 19.
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This will mean more people are permitted inside venues – whether that’s bars, restaurants, cinemas or shops.
There will be no more limits on mass gatherings or meeting others, either.
Social distancing rules will remain in place in certain settings – such as hospitals and airports.
Rules for masks, too, are a little bit more complicated. The government has removed the legal requirement to wear face coverings in most places, but has advised people to continue doing so in crowded areas.
On some forms of public transport – like the Greater Manchester Metrolink – face masks remain compulsory beyond July 19.
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More information on face mask rules in Manchester can be found here.
Can I order from the bar after July 19?
No masks or table service will be required in pubs after the end of lockdown / Image: ELEVATE via Pexels
Yes – bar service is back.
Table ordering in the hospitality sector is no longer mandatory, so punters can head back to the bar and order drinks just like in the old days.
Customers will no longer have to download an app or sign in at venues, either.
When are nightclubs opening again? Are festivals allowed after July 19?
After 16 months of closures, nightclubs are finally allowed to reopen on July 19.
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Festivals, too, can proceed as normal.
Mass events such as these may ask people to provide proof of vaccination via the NHS COVID Pass app – upon entry, but this is not a legal requirement.
Can weddings go ahead without restrictions from July 19?
Neither weddings or funerals will have any limits imposed on them after July 19.
Both these types of gatherings can proceed without restrictions on attendances or venue.
Can crowds return to stadiums?
Yes.
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All stadiums – be it sport or music grounds – can operate at maximum capacity once again from July 19.
Should I still work from home?
The government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can.
Ministers have said they “would expect and recommend a gradual return” to the workplace over the summer.
Can I go on holiday again from July 19?
Rules on flying vary depending on where you’re travelling / Image: Pixabay
Travel requirements will continue to vary depending on destinations.
In most cases, testing will be required at some stage.
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Countries on the green list will have the fewest travel restrictions.
From July 19, passengers coming back to England from nations on the amber list will no longer have to quarantine for 10 days if they have been fully vaccinated. Visitors from France, however, will still need to self-isolate regardless of their vaccine status.
Any passengers travelling from countries on the red list will still have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days after July 19.
Masks will still be required on many flights.
For more information on travel rules, visit the Gov UK website.
Featured image: SnappyGoat
News
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
The Manc -
18th July 2021 
