The Prime Minister has announced the roadmap out of lockdown
Yesterday the Prime Minister announced the planned roadmap for ending lockdown and removing restrictions that have been put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Full details of this plan can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021
In conjunction with advice from UK Government scientists, I have summarised the guidance released below for your convenience.
8th March:
• All pupils to return to school and further education settings (except universities). Moreover, school clubs (breakfast clubs and sports clubs) can resume.
• You can meet up with one other person from another household for exercise and sociable reasons (continuing to maintain social distancing guidance).
• Care home residents can have one regular visitor indoors.
29th March
• Outdoor sports can resume (including golf, tennis and outdoor team games).
• Rule of six to be reintroduced (or two households with more than six people), in outdoor settings, including private gardens.
• The “stay at home” message will be dropped so you can travel to meet people outside, but no overnight stays or indoor mixing.
• Working from home to still be encouraged.
12th April
• Non-essential retail to reopen.
• Hairdressers, beauty salons and beauticians to reopen.
• Indoor leisure facilities and gyms to reopen.
• Pubs and restaurants allowed to reopen with outdoor drinking and dining only.
• Holiday lets to reopen as long as one household staying.
• Zoos, theme parks and outdoor cinemas to reopen.
• Libraries and community centres to reopen.
17th May
• Rules on gathering outdoors lifted to a max of 30 people. Rule of six or two households will remain indoors with social distancing.
• Cinemas and theatres to reopen.
• Pubs and restaurants allowed indoor drinking and dining.
• Hotels, hostels and B&Bs to reopen.
• Sports stadiums to reopen.
21st June
• Hope for lifting of all legal restrictions.
• Nightclubs and large events and performances to resume.
• Weddings to resume.
For the time being the message is still the same for everyone and for the majority a lot will not change until the end of March, so please do remember until then to do the following:
• Work from home unless you absolutely cannot.
• Only leave your house for essential reasons (shopping for essentials, exercise, medical appointment or work).
• Do not leave your area and travel long distances.
• Maintaining social distance with face masks, 2 metres and hand washing
• Only allowed to meet one other person from another household in a public open space for exercise.
I am pleased that the Government has released this roadmap of how we begin to open up society again. Whilst we continue to increase the pace of the vaccine rollout, I am keen to ensure that should we reach milestones in advance of the targets set out below, that the Government respond proportionately and reduce day-to-day restrictions sooner.
Whilst understanding the Government have acted to ensure we have as much protection as possible from the virus, I am only too well aware of the damage caused by lockdowns, on our mental health, our physical health and on jobs. That is why I am ken that the current restrictions that we face are the last.
People across Stockport have worked extraordinarily hard to ensure infection rates fall. The rollout of the vaccine continues to gather pace, and working alongside colleagues in Parliament, I am committed to ensuring that we recover sustainably after the horrendous twelve months we have faced.