Mr Johnson addressed the nation in a televised press conference last week, alongside Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, to give the green light for pubs, shops, hairdressers, gyms and a raft of other venues to reopen from today, which would allow them to operate for the first time in three months.
He also stated that moving to the next stage of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown was “fully justified” by the success of the vaccine rollout and the drop in cases and hospitalisations.
COVID-19 Roadmap: Step 2
No earlier than 12 April (at least 5 weeks after Step 1)
The Prime Minister has previously stated that decisions on the easing of restrictions as part of the “irreversible” roadmap will be led by data rather than dates, as it takes around four weeks for the data to show the impact of easing restrictions, and 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.
Before taking each step, the government will review the latest data on the impact of the previous step against four tests, which are:
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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.
‘Step One’ of the roadmap was split into two, with the first restrictions eased on 8th March, followed by further changes on 29th March, but what’s in store for ‘Step Two’?
What are all the lockdown restrictions being lifted in England today?
Here’s everything you need to know:
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All non-essential retail stores, community centres, libraries, hairdressers and nail salons can reopen to the public.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to reopen to serve people outdoors only, with customers not required to order a “substantial meal” in order to have an alcoholic drink.
Gyms and other indoor leisure facilities are also to reopen, as well as outdoor attractions including zoos, theme parks, and drive-in cinemas.
Campsites, holiday lets and other forms of self-contained accommodation are due to reopen, providing that indoor facilities are not shared with other households.
Parent and child groups (not counting children under five) can resume indoors.
The number of guests allowed at a wedding will be able to increase to 15, and funerals will continue with the current number of guests limited to 30.
Care home residents will be allowed to have two regular visitors indoors.
With regards to travel, the “stay at home” order was lifted as part of the second phase of ‘Step One’ on 29th March, but people should continue to work from home where they can, minimise domestic travel and are encouraged to “stay local”.
International holidays are still illegal, and social distancing rules still apply across England.
What restrictions are being lifted from 17th May?
If the data allows it, further restrictions will be lifted on 17th May as part of ‘Step Three’ of lifting England’s lockdown, which are:
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Up to 30 people from different households will be able to gather outdoors.
Indoor hospitality will reopen, as well as indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, hotels, children’s play areas and indoor group sports and exercise classes.
The limit on guests attending weddings, receptions and wakes will increase to 30.
The government has also said it will update advice on social distancing measures no later than this stage, and this will also be the earliest date at which international holidays may be able to resume.
This will all be subject to a prior government review.
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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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Featured Image – Mark Waugh | Flickr
News
Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road
Danny Jones
Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.
Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.
Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.
With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.
Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.
Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.
Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.
2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.
The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.
Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.
Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.
Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)
News
UK set for another ‘potential’ heatwave next week after warmest June on record
Emily Sergeant
England could be heading towards another potential heatwave early next week, the Met Office has revealed.
While it’s obviously true that temperatures this week have returned to average for the time of year, bringing largely settled conditions for many, once next week rolls around, some parts of the country could be heating up once again – with the Met Office revealing what Greater Manchester residents should prepare for.
For the early part of next week, temperatures will definitely rise and perhaps reach what are considered heatwave conditions for some.
But if this is the case, the forecast suggests that it’s ‘unlikely’ to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last month’s heat, and the North West won’t be getting the worst of it.
The potential of next week’s heatwave comes after last month was officially declared the UK’s warmest June on record.
After a week of respite from the heat, high pressure moves in this weekend, dominating many southern and central areas for the next 10 days.
A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the ‘exceptionally warm’ overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record.
Giving an insight into what’s to come as we head into the weekend, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson, explained: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.
“The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”
The Manc -
12th April 2021 
