Prime Minister Boris Johnson has officially announced the government’s ‘roadmap’ to take the country out of lockdown in 2021.
The PM made the much-anticipated statement on February 22 – seven weeks after reintroducing national restrictions in England for a third time.
Johnson previously said his intention was to adopt a “cautious and prudent” approach for removing measures, claiming this exit strategy was designed in such a way as to be “irreversible”.
The roadmap will see the economy open over a number of weeks, lifting measures for separate sectors at four different stages.
June 21 is being touted as the date on which social contact limits will be completely lifted.
Boris Johnson's roadmap:
March 8: Schools reopen
March 29: 2 households can meet outdoors Outdoor sport
Two people will also be able to meet outdoors socially from March 8.
Rules around social mixing will be relaxed further from March 29 – with two families or groups of up to six people permitted to gather outdoors.
The ‘stay at home’ rule will also be removed from March 29.
Schools
School pupils in England will return from March 8.
Sports
Outdoor sports – such as golf and tennis – will return from March 29.
Sports venues, such as football stadiums, will stay shut to spectators for the time being with games continuing to take place behind closed doors. There is a plan for fans to return from May.
Non-essential retail
Non-essential retail – including gyms and hairdressers – may resume trading from April 12.
Public buildings will also open from this date.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels
Outdoor hospitality venues such as beer gardens will be allowed to reopen from April 12.
The preliminary date for the resumption of indoor service at pubs, bars and restaurants in England is May 17.
Hotels will also be able to resume trading from this date.
Nightclubs are expected to open by June 21 – along with all remaining sectors.
Travel
Travel abroad could be allowed from May 17, dependent on the data.
BREAKING: The 4 steps to lifting lockdown in England.
There will be weeks between each step: 4 weeks to reflect on the data followed by 1 week notice to be given to relevant sectors and the public. pic.twitter.com/7RTql0pV7S
Johnson has repeatedly stated he would be guided by the data in lifting lockdown – which could result in swift alterations being made to the roadmap if coronavirus cases stop falling.
However, if the current plan succeeds, most social curbs in England will be lifted by the end of June.
More than 17 million have now received a coronavirus vaccination – with all adults expected to be offered a jab by July 31 at the current pace of the rollout.
News
Government reportedly considering introducing two-hour screen time limit for children
Emily Sergeant
Reports are suggesting that the UK Government is considering introducing two-hour screen time limits for children.
With an announcement on the matter expected later this autumn, Sky News is reporting that social media limits for children are being planned by the Government in a bid to tackle what is being referred to as ‘compulsive’ screen time usage – with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle admitting he is concerned about ‘the overall amount of time kids spend on apps’ these days, as well as the content they see.
Following meetings with current and former employees of some of the country’s major tech companies, a two-hour cap per social media platform is being ‘seriously considered’.
It is understood that, according to reports, instead of simply just being reminded of how long they have been scrolling for, children would actually be blocked from accessing apps, such as TikTok or Snapchat, once they have hit the limit.
The Government is considering introducing a two-hour screen time limit for children / Credit: RawPixel / Flickr
“I’ll be making an announcement on these things in the near future,” Mr Kyle told Sky News in an interview this week, “but I am looking very carefully about the overall time kids spend on these apps.”
He continued: “I think some parents feel a bit disempowered about how to actually make their kids healthier online.
“I think some kids feel that sometimes there is so much compulsive behaviour with interaction with the apps, they need some help just to take control of their online lives, and those are things I’m looking at really carefully.
“We talk a lot about a healthy childhood offline. We need to do the same online. I think sleep is very important, to be able to focus on studying is very important.”
The proposed limit is to help prevent ‘compulsive’ scrolling / Credit: William Hook (via Unsplash)
Mr Kyle admitted that, while children spending hours viewing content on social media isn’t ‘criminal’, but the overuse of some of these apps in particular is ‘unhealthy’.
“I think we can incentivise the companies,” he continued.
“We can set a slightly different threshold that will just tip the balance in favour of parents, [so that they’re] not always being the ones having to rip phones out of the kids’ hands and having a really awkward and difficult conversation around it.”
The upcoming proposed screen time limit comes after 1,000 pupils – mostly aged 14 and 15 – at schools in the North East town of Darlington spent a year participating in regular focus groups about smartphones and social media.
The survey found that 40% of them spent at least six hours a day online, and one in five even spent as long as eight hours scrolling.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Road to Victory returns for massive Euro 2025 final screening at AO Arena
Danny Jones
England are in another final, and you know what that means: Road to Victory is returning to Manchester for another massive screening at the AO Arena as England’s women’s team prepare to defend their Euros trophy.
Sarina Weigman’s side made it to their second consecutive European final on Tuesday night following more late drama for the Lionesses against Italy.
The squad, which has seen a number of personnel changes since Euro 2022, managed to make it through to the final in the eleventh hour thanks to another stoppage-time equaliser from Michelle Agyemang and even more tense follow-up from a scuffed spot-kick by Chloe Kelly.
Will they ever stop giving us heart palpitations at major tournaments? Probably not, but the big watchalong party inside the AO Arena, which will see thousands turn up to watch the Euro 2025 final, is sure to deliver plenty of excitement either way.
For anyone unfamiliar with the massive fan zone – one of THE biggest in all Europe, in fact – Road to Victory is the unparalleled supporter party by AIX (Amplified Immersive Xperiences) Live, who specialise in the top-end of audio-visual matchday viewing vibes.
Having hosted huge screenings for the previous men’s Euros and the Qatar World Cup, and even inspiring a massive watchalong of last season’s Europa League final at the venue, Road to Victory (RtV) is just about as big and bold as it gets.
Think BOXPARK in London only bigger, more interactive and, dare we say it… better?
Yes, we do dare say it; having attended RtV on multiple occasions since it landed here back in 2022, we can confirm you won’t find an atmosphere quite like it anywhere else. At least not in Greater Manchester, anyway.
Case and point:
With doors to the women’s Euros screening opening at 4pm, there’ll be plenty of time for pre-match build-up before the game gets underway, and there’ll be plenty of entertainment, light displays, food, drinks and more – it’s just up to Manchester fans to be in full voice.
The Women’s European Championships certainly have a more all-ages, family-friendly feel to them, but Road to Victory and the AO Arena are still ensuring they deliver a palpable match-day energy.
Tickets are already live following England’s place in the last two of the Women’s Euros now confirmed, it’s merely a matter of securing yours and finding out who, out of Germany and Spain, will meet them in the final this weekend.
Once again, the 2025 Women’s Euros final kicks off at 5pm on Sunday, 27 July, and you can grab your tickets for the Road to Victory screening at the AO Arena in Manchester right HERE.
The Manc -
22nd February 2021 
