Coming just over seven weeks after the reintroducing of national restrictions in England for a third time amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the government’s roadmap will see the economy open over a number of weeks, lifting measures for separate sectors at four different stages.
Mr Johnson claimed that this exit strategy was designed in such a way as to be “irreversible”.
According to the ‘COVID-19 RESPONSE – SPRING 2021‘ roadmap document published on the gov.uk website today, decisions on easing restrictions will be led by data rather than dates, as it takes around four weeks for the data to show the impact of easing restrictions.
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The government will then provide a further week’s notice to the public and businesses ahead of any further changes, so for that reason, there will be at least five weeks between the steps in the roadmap.
The indicative dates in the roadmap are all contingent on the data and subject to change.
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Before taking each step, the government will review the latest data on the impact of the previous step against four tests, which are:
The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
The assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.
Boris Johnson outlines the four tests that the incremental easing of restrictions will have to meet, adding that there will be at least five weeks between each step.
Announcing the ‘Four Tests’ method for the incremental easing of restrictions in his address this afternoon, Mr Johnson said: “I know there will be many who will be worried that we are being too ambitious and that it is arrogant to impose any kind of plan upon a virus and I agree that we must always be humble in the face of nature and that we must be cautious,”
“But I really also believe that the vaccination programme has dramatically changed the odds in our favour, and it is on that basis that we can now proceed.”
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Mr Johnson first confirmed ‘ Step One’ – already widely speculated ahead of his announcement – which sees children of all ages return to school full-time from 8th March, alongside some higher education settings, as well as being able to meet one other person outside for recreational purposes and care home residents allowed one regular named visitor, both on the same date.
The 29th March sees outdoor gatherings of up to six people or two households allowed – including meeting in private gardens – and outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts and outdoor swimming pools, allowed to reopen, with organised outdoor sports also resuming.
But what does ‘Step Two’, ‘Step Three’ and ‘Step Four’ have in store for Mancunians?
And what do these all-important steps mean for the struggling hospitality businesses and night time economy in our city centre and throughout the region of Greater Manchester?
Outdoors most social contact rules lifted, up to limit of 30 people.
Mixing indoors allowed for two households, but ‘rule of six’ for indoor hospitality and elsewhere.
Cinemas, soft play centres, rest of accommodation sector, hotels, indoor exercise classes return
Performances and sporting events resume – larger performances with venues 1,000+ or half full will be allowed indoors and outdoors 4,000 capacity or half full (whichever lowest).
In very largest outdoor seated venues such as football stadiums up to 10,000 people allowed to attend (or 1/4 full whichever is lowest).
Up to 30 people can attend weddings, receptions, funerals, wakes.
From May 17, gatherings of up to 30 people outdoors will be allowed and the rule-of-six will apply indoors. Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to serve people indoors.
Large events will also be allowed with up to 1,000 people indoors.
The Prime Minister said he hopes the lockdown in England will be lifted around 21st June, but he stressed that the decision to lift restrictions will be driven by data and not dates.
So Step Four, from no earlier than 21st June.
All legal limits on social contact removed, with ambition to reopen final closed sectors of the economy such as nightclubs.
Hope to lift restrictions on large events and performances.
Hope to remove all limits on weddings and other “life events”.
Boris Johnson says that from no earlier than 21 June all legal limits "on social contact and on weddings and other life events" will be removed, adding "we will reopen everything up to, and including, nightclubs"
Mr Johnson closed out his address to MPs in the House of Commons, stating that he hoped the nation was on a “one way road to freedom” after a “wretched year”.
He declared: “The end really is in sight.”
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The Prime Minister’s unveiling of his vision to remove “all legal limits on social contact” by 21st June comes after he said last week that the use of lateral flow tests could be the “route forward” to reopening those businesses that have been “the toughest nuts to crack”.
He said: “For the purposes of this country and doing things within the domestic UK economy, we will look at everything. But what we are thinking of at the moment is more of a route that relies on mass vaccination [as] we intend to vaccinate all of the adults in the country by the autumn, plus lateral flow testing, rapid testing for those bits that have been the toughest nuts to crack.
“Such as nightclubs or theatres – those parts of the economy we couldn’t get open last year.
“I think that will be the route that we go down and that businesses will go down [and] you are already seeing lots of business using the potential of rapid, on-the-day testing as well.
“I think that, in combination with vaccination, will probably be the route forward.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Plans to bring Greater Manchester’s rail services onto the Bee Network unveiled
Emily Sergeant
Ambitious plans to bring all rail services in Greater Manchester onto the Bee Network have been unveiled this week.
After the success of all the region’s buses returning to local control at the start of the year, Mayor Andy Burnham has set out Greater Manchester’s step-by-step plan to bring rail into the Bee Network by 2028, working alongside the rail industry to do this as the next part of his joined-up ‘London-style’ public transport system, which is intended to boost passenger numbers, and drive growth across the region.
Developed in partnership with the rail industry, Department for Transport (DfT) and Shadow Great British Rail, Mr Burnham says his plan is aimed at not only improving transport but unlocking major regeneration and housing opportunities on land around the region’s stations too.
Greater Manchester’s proposition is for eight commuter rail lines, covering 64 stations, to be brought into the Bee Network in three phases over the next five years.
Under the plan, the first two lines – which will work to connect Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge, in Tameside – will join the Bee Network by December 2026, and then a further 32 stations, and all lines within Greater Manchester, would join by 2030.
Not only that, but Greater Manchester leaders have also committed to working with the Government and the rail industry to “improve reliability” and “implement service changes” to help drive growth too.
If all goes to plan, the first branded Bee Network train will be running by the end of 2026.
Bus, tram and train will finally be united in a tap-in, tap-out payment system with a daily cap offering much better value for money than existing rail fares.
Another major change is that TfGM has said it will work with the rail industry to accelerate the delivery of accessibility improvements – with more than 60% of stations on the eight lines set to have step-free access by 2028, compared to 43% at the end of 2024.
“Our rail system today is acting as a brake on growth and, as the UK’s fastest growing city-region, Greater Manchester deserves better,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham, as he unveiled his plans this week.
“We need a railway that is reliable and fully integrated with the rest of the Bee Network to drive growth and deliver new homes with public transport connections on the doorstep.
“Our plan puts passengers first by delivering a simplified, joined-up public transport network, with better services, stations and overall experience. Only by making travel by train more reliable, simpler, flexible and accessible to everyone, will we convince more people to leave the car at home and make the switch to the Bee Network.”
If everything goes according to plan, it’s expected to boost the number of trips by train by 1.3 million each year.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester United reinstate season ticket of fan with dementia after fury over cancellation
Danny Jones
Manchester United have quickly reinstated the season ticket of a lifelong fan suffering from dementia after it was cancelled following confusion over his attendance.
The Premier League was met with huge backlash this week after a fan account on social media posted a message from a fellow supporter explaining how their grandfather had been stripped of his season ticket for supposedly failing to attend the last five games – only that wasn’t the case at all.
As detailed in the lengthy text shared countless times on X, the elderly fan who not only struggles with the neurological condition but also doesn’t own a mobile phone, has been using a paper ticket with a QR code printed on it ever since the majority of stadiums transitioned to largely digital ticketing systems.
Not only were many quick to point out that e-ticketing can be excluding for fans of a certain age and/or accessibility needs but the result in this instance could have been avoided had they taken into account an issue no doubt many other supporters face week in and week out.
@MUSTChair@MU_ST can you guys investigate this? I am not surprised but this is disgusting behaviour. Granted it's no doubt an automated IT system but the club need to make arrangements for the older/non IT fan
As the message goes on to explain, the QR code itself “hasn’t worked all season” and the stewards have simply been making an exception and letting him in on good faith and discretion, along with the presumption that there may have just been an error during the printing of the ticket.
However, since had and could not be scanned on each of these occasions, there was no real record of his entry on their database whatsoever, meaning that he unknowingly hit the limit of games supporters are allowed to miss before a season ticket can be removed.
As a result, not only was his season ticket of more than 45 years cancelled but his seat was immediately relisted for the ballot and quickly sold to someone else ahead of the Brighton game on Sunday, 21 January – at a now inflated price, no less.
Understandably, United supporters and various other clubs were left shocked by the error of the club, damning the decision as “shameful” and disgusting”, with many claiming that they are once again turning their back on so-called ‘legacy fans’.
One person replied: “Man United failing in their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act / Equality Act 2010, with regard to reasonable adjustments, and the club is now vulnerable to legal action […] Scandalous that clubs cannot just do the right thing anymore and only see fans as cash cows to exploit and (effectively) abuse as they see fit.”
What’s even more alarming is the worry that this has already or will happen again to other fans in similar situations, as a fellow Red responding to a response from the club reinforced the same concerns, claiming that they were unwilling to make reasonable adjustments for a family member with Alzheimer’s.
I'm the same. My mum has alzheimer's and I can't always go, especially to night matches but it maybe short notice so can't sell ticket. I asked if this could be taken into consideration at the end of the season and they said no. If you miss games then sell your ticket.
Thankfully, as per multiple outlets, the club has now at the very least rectified this particular mistake and although the club’s Director of Supporter Services had been “unhelpful” up until that point, the right steps have finally been taken.
On the other hand, as the original poster wrote following the update, “Good to hear this has now been resolved, but it should never have happened in the first place.”
Moreover, it’s clear that better measures and safeguarding practices need to be put into place when it comes to contingencies like this because although the Premier League has stated a full switch to digital e-tickets must be complete by the end of 2027 at the latest, there will always need to be exceptions.
As for ticket prices themselves, another banner up at Old Trafford after the club adjusted ticket prices and removed concessions across all categories for the remainder of the season – it read: £66 of your debt, not ours”. It’s not the first time fans have already protested since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s tenure began.
“£66 you’re taking the p*ss” sing those protesting behind the banner. There are also chants of “you’re forcing us out.” pic.twitter.com/L34l36uvXk
The Manc -
22nd February 2021 
