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.
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?
What’s in lockdown roadmap Step Two?
This will happen no earlier than 12 April.
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Non-essential retail, hairdressers, nail salons, libraries and museums open.
Outdoor hospitality in pubs and restaurants allowed with households or ‘rule of six’.
Most outdoor settings reopen such as zoos and theme parks.
Gyms and indoor swimming pools open.
Self catering holiday accommodation and camp sites reopen.
Funerals continue with up to 30 people.
Weddings with up to 15 people.
What’s in lockdown roadmap Step Three?
This will happen no earlier than 17th May.
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.
What’s in lockdown roadmap Step Four?
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”.
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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Bolton has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2024
Emily Sergeant
Bolton has officially been named Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2024.
Taking over the reins from Stockport – which held the title in 2023, and recently hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close – it’s now the turn of the north-western Greater Manchester borough of Bolton.
Bolton has long been celebrated as hub of culture and creative activity within our region.
The area has notably produced some big-name stars in the arts, entertainment, comedy, and sporting spheres over the years, as well as having seen significant new residential and commercial developments popping up in recent times, and a blossoming food, drink, hospitality, and nightlife scene that continues to prove popular.
The Bolton Food and Drink Festival, IRONMAN, Bolton Film Festival, and Put Big Light On are all big annual events in the borough.
Bolton has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2024 / Credit: Bolton Food & Drink Festival (via Facebook)
And now, the town has got itself a fancy title to prove it – and along with that, a whopping £50,000 grant to support a year-long programme of events.
In case you’re unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about, it’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region – with Bury the inaugural title-holder 2020 and holding onto it into 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, and then followed by Stalybridge in 2022, and Stockport in 2023 – and it celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Bolton’s programme will have three parts, according to Bolton Council.
The town has taken over the reins from Stockport, which held the title in 2023 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | The Octagon Theatre
The first is a taster programme packed full of cultural activities delivered in Bolton and its various districts, and then following on from that, there’ll be a grants programme designed to help support Bolton’s smaller cultural organisations, freelancers, and artists.
The grand finale will be the Bolton Gala – which is set to take place next March, and is gearing up to be a celebratory event jointly-organised by all cultural partners, and co-designed by residents too.
Bolton Council says it will be working with cultural organisations, creative practitioners, and residents to “strengthen partnerships” that’ll deliver a collective approach to creative programming, and Councillors hope to build on assets such as the town’s legendary Octagon Theatre, the newly-refurbished Bolton Central Library and Museum, and the Bolton Albert Halls too.
GMCA has awarded the town a £50,000 grant to support a year-long programme of events throughout the year / Credit: Paul Hayes (via Bolton Food & Drink Festival on Facebook)
“It’s fantastic that Bolton has been announced as the latest Greater Manchester Town of Culture,” Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, commented as the town took the title this week.
“Bolton already has some outstanding cultural venues and eventsm from the Octagon Theatre and the Bolton Albert Hall, to the famous Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the Bolton Film Festival, and Town of Culture will celebrate these existing venues and events, but will also shine a light on the smaller venues and events that are happening across the town.
“I look forward to visiting Bolton to join their cultural celebrations.”
Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Nick Peel, says he’s “thrilled” about the town’s new title, and added: “Bolton certainly has a promising future, and will be a great place to live, work, study, visit and invest in the future.”
Featured Image – Bolton Food & Drink Festival (via Facebook)
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Huge beer festival responds after attendees label it ‘Manchester Wonka experience’
Daisy Jackson
A massive beer and cider festival that took place in Manchester last weekend has addressed fall-out on social media after some attendees slammed it as the ‘weirdest most dysfunctional festival ever‘.
People have said that the International Brewing and Cider Festival had a ‘strange atmosphere’ due to there being ‘no one there’, had a limited selection of drinks, and was generally ‘a bloody awful evening’.
Some people have even gone so far as to compare it to the now-infamous Wonka Experience.
But the festival has now hit back at these harsh reviews online, saying that there were more than 400 different types of beer and cider available, with around 800 attendees over the weekend.
In a statement, they apologised for a ‘less than perfect experience’.
The International Brewing and Cider Festival – a not-for-profit trade organisation – stressed that ‘early teething troubles’ were ironed out as the event progressed through its four sessions.
As well as inviting breweries from around the world to serve up beers under one roof in one of Manchester’s coolest venues, the beer festival had 19 food and drink traders, and a programme of live music and DJs.
Despite only receiving a couple of actual complaints directly, the festival has been hit with criticism on social media.
Visitors to the beer festival at Depot Mayfield had shared photos of a mostly-empty venue at points over the weekend, with many saying it was ‘freezing’ inside.
One person wrote: “I went with a mate and we left after an hour. The venue was so freezing that the beer itself was too cold to enjoy.”
Someone else said: “This was by a country mile the worst event (not just beer event) I’ve ever attended. Truly horrific.”
The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonR
A detailed tale of the experience on Reddit, which said the International Brewing and Cider Festival was a ‘contender for Manchester’s Wonka experience’.
They said that they were ‘greeted by an extremely rude person’ and then struggled to order a beer, with several beers on the list unavailable and ended up with ‘a plastic cup of foam’.
The person said: “It was still early at this point so I expected it to get a bit busy but it never did combined with some depressing music and freezing cold temperatures the atmosphere was strange.”
Someone else said on X: “It was a massive scam. Willy Wonka type scam. No one there. Beers not great. It absolutely was not worth £40. The keg bar was closed, the cask bar closed at 8:30, the only decent beer available was from the few independent brewers who had decided to stick around (half had left). No atmosphere as no one there. Just awful.”
Another person said: “I don’t think I’ve been to a worse organised event. The term ‘Couldn’t organise a pi55 up in a brewery’ was made for this festival.
“Mid session there were less than 100 people. The signs on the cask and keg were too small to read at any distance. People pouring on the bar had no knowledge of any of the beers & no info in the app.
“For the entry fee of £20 to drink out of plastic, beer costing ‘town prices’, & some of the brewers had packed up and left hours before the end, left me feeling like I’d been ripped off.”
A spokesperson for the International Brewing & Cider Festival said: “We are very sorry that some people had a less than perfect experience – this was our first Festival and when you start something new, there will be learnings.
“We are a not-for-profit trade organisation representing the value chain, supplying the brewing and beverage industry.
The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonRThe International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: Reddit, u/Luc1dJay
“As the organiser of the oldest international brewing and cider awards in the world, we held the Awards in Manchester this year and wanted to bring the entries from around the world to the public in the city.
“We adapted throughout the two days, ironing out some early teething troubles to deliver a better model as the event progressed.”
But now that Indy Man Beer Con has announced it won’t be returning for 2024, there’s definitely room in Manchester for a new beer festival.
Let’s it comes back to the city again and next time, is a roaring success.