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Boris Johnson is expected to take one of his biggest steps towards ending the coronavirus lockdown today by allowing museums, cinemas and galleries to reopen next month.
In a statement to the Commons this lunchtime (June 23), the Prime Minister is set to announce that thousands of England’s cultural venues can welcome visitors once more from July 4, alongside pubs, cafes and restaurants.
He is also expected to confirm that the Government’s two-metre social distancing guideline will be cut in half to ensure reopening proves viable for the hospitality sector.
Johnson is said to have discussed the plans yesterday with his COVID-19 strategy committee, headed up by the UK’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.
The announcement comes after the Prime Minister said he was “sticking like glue” to his plans for reopening the country.
“The disease is increasingly under control and I just want people to reflect on that important fact,” he said last weekend. “It’s going down, we are getting it down.
“So, of course, as we make that progress it will be possible to open up more and you will be hearing more about what we want to do with not just non-essential retail but with the hospitality sector from July 4 and we’re sticking absolutely like glue to the road map to the plan that I set out on May 10.”
Businesses are expected to introduce perspex screens and modified seating plans in order to minimise the risk of spreading COVID-19 among customers.
The other nations of the UK are yet to announce plans to cut the 2m distance rule for the hospitality industry.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has asked for scientific advisers to review the circumstances in which it might be reduced, as well as “additional mitigations”.
Non-essential retail shops were permitted to re-open last Monday (June 15).
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