Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats

Prime Minister's statement to the House of Commons on roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions in England

The Prime Minister will address the nation this evening, but has already outlined the roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions in England to the House of Commons.

The roadmap has four steps with a minimum of five weeks between each step.

Step one is in two parts:

On 8 March

• All students return to schools and colleges, and school clubs can resume
• Secondary school students will be required to wear masks in class as well as communal areas
• People can meet one other person outside for recreation, not just exercise
• Care home residents allowed one regular named visitor
• Stay at home order remains in place

29 March

• Outdoor gatherings of up to six people or two households allowed, including meeting in private gardens
• Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts and outdoor swimming pools allowed to reopen; organised outdoor sports can resume
• Stay at home order ends but people encouraged to stay local wherever they can
• Work from home wherever possible
• No overseas travel

Step two will happen no earlier than 12 April

• 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

Step three will happen no earlier than 17 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

• The PM said he hopes the lockdown in England will be lifted around the 21 June but he stressed the decision to lift restrictions will be driven by data and not dates

Step four will happen no earlier than 21 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"

You can read the Prime Minister's statement here.

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