Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today outlined to Parliament the next phase of loosening lockdown restrictions to commence in England from 4th July.
He addressed the House of Commons at 12:30pm this afternoon.
The two-metre social distancing guidelines are being reduced to one-metre+, which matches the recommendations outlined by the World Health Organisation and this reduction will enable businesses to serve higher numbers of customers, whilst remaining COVID-compliant.
The government is set to publish further guidance on this matter.
The announcement represents a significant step towards a full reopening of the UK economy and will come as relieving news for many businesses desperate to resume trading.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ahead of lockdown restrictions loosening in England, here is the full list of businesses and venues which have been given the green light to once again reopen to the public, and which must continue to remain closed.
___
ADVERTISEMENT
Which venues can reopen?
The following list of businesses and venues can reopen to the public from Saturday 4th July 2020:
Hotels
Bed & Breakfasts
Holiday Homes
Campsites
Caravan Parks
Boarding Houses
Places of Worship
Libraries
Workplace Canteens
Bars
Pubs
Cinemas
Museums and Galleries
Outdoor Playgrounds
Funfairs
Theme Parks
Amusement Arcades
Model Villages
___
Which venues must remain closed?
The following list of businesses and venues cannot reopen to the public from Saturday 4th July 2020 and must remain closed until further notice:
ADVERTISEMENT
Nightclubs
Bowling Alleys
Indoor Play Areas eg: Softplay
Spas
Nail Bars
Tattoo Parlours
Indoor Gyms and Fitness Centres
Swimming Pools
Waterparks
Conference Centres
Guidance ahead of reopening is set to be published by the government in full in due course.
For further information, guidance and support amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please refer to official resources on gov.uk/coronavirus.
___
According to the latest figures released by the Department of Health & Social Care, a total of 42,647 people have sadly died after testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
As of 9am 22 June, there have been 8,029,757 tests, with 139,659 tests on 21 June.
305,289 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 21 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,647 have sadly died.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 22, 2020
News
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
The Manc -
23rd June 2020 
