Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed in a press conference this evening (14th June) that there will be a delay in the country moving to Step 4 of the Government roadmap.
The news comes as yet another blow for people across the country who had been enjoying the glorious weather and looking forward to enjoying greater freedoms on June 21st.
He told the nation he hopes the final lockdown restrictions will be lifted by 19th July but warned, “now is the time to ease off the accelerator.”
“By being cautious now,” he said, “we have the chance – in the next four weeks – to save many thousands of lives… then we will be in a far stronger position to keep hospitalisations down, to live with this disease, and to complete our cautious but irreversible roadmap to freedom."
Under current restrictions:
Outdoor gatherings are limited to 30 people and indoor gatherings are limited to 6 people or 2 households.
Indoor entertainment and attractions such as cinemas, theatres, casinos, museums and children’s indoor play areas are open with COVID-secure measures in place.
Indoor hospitality venues such as restaurants, pubs, bars and cafes are now open.
People can attend indoor and outdoor events, including live performances, sporting events and business events with a restricted number of attendees according to venue type.
Organised indoor sport can take place.
Holiday accommodation is now open, including hotels and B&Bs and can be used by groups of up to 6 or 2 households.
Weddings that can still go ahead with more than 30 guests provided social distancing remains in place and the same applies to wakes.
The PM went on to give hope that this will not go on any longer than another month. “As things stand – and on the basis of the evidence I can see right now – I am confident we will not need any more than 4 weeks and we won’t need to go beyond July 19th," he said.
Check out our product advantages page here to find out more about how SheffShield can help you get ready for the final easing of restrictions next month.