Everything Boris Johnson just announced in new roadmap
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed the new steps being taken by the government in the next phase of the virus response.
Outlining the roadmap live from Downing Street on Friday morning (17 July), the PM said that anyone can now use public transport, and that the government would update its advice on going to work from 1 August.
Bowling alleys, casinos and skating rinks would reopen from 1 August, he confirmed, whilst wedding receptions up to 30 people will also be permitted.
Nightclubs and soft play areas remain closed and kept under review.
From October, audiences may be able to return to stadia and conferences will recommence, in a “COVID-secure” way.
Johnson also said that he is hoping for normality by November.
Warning that the “virus will be more virulent in the winter months”, the PM said the government would be providing £3bn of funding to NHS in England, with additional resources also available for Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
Johnson claimed the UK had continued to make “steady progress” and the tools used to tackle pandemic “were changing” as the government “knows more about the virus.”
The PM also explained that authorities will now have new powers to enforce local lockdowns, including measures such as closing shops and cancelling events.