Seven weeks into the coronavirus lockdown, the Prime Minister has this evening announced some changes to the regulations as the spread of COVID-19 slows across Great Britain.
Much remains unchanged, but here are the key points to take away from Boris Johnson’s address:
1. All workers are being “actively encouraged” to return to work even if their job is not essential – workers are asked to avoid public transport wherever possible
2. Visiting the beach or countryside to picnic, sunbathe or relax is no longer banned
3. Outdoor exercise is no longer limited – all restrictions on travelling for exercise have been lifted
4. There will be an increase in fines (from £60 to £100) for people who ignore the regulations
5. People coming into the country by air would be forced to quarantine
6. Children will start going back to school from June – but only if the infection level is low enough
7. Re-opening of the hospitality industry (pubs, cinemas, mass gatherings) will be looked at in July
Prior to unveiling his roadmap out of the lockdown, on Twitter this morning Boris Johnson released a new graphic promoting ‘stay alert’ advice – dropping the ‘stay home’ message – insisting that the relaxed rules are “how we can continue to save lives as we start to recover from coronavirus”.
He said we must “stay alert, control the virus, save lives”. In another graphic (below) officially released on social media today, the Government is asking people to “stay at home as much as possible” and “limit contact with other people”.
According to a Sun on Sunday poll made up of 1,512 British adults, 90% of people would prefer Boris Johnson did not ease the coronavirus lockdown.
On Twitter, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she refused to adopt the Government’s new ‘stay alert’ slogan and wrote: “#StayHomeSaveLives remains my clear message to Scotland at this stage”.
