Please note: this article was published on 6th July 2021, the information below may now be out of date. For the latest information, visit gov.uk
Subject to a final review of the data next week (12th July 2021), legal Covid-19 restrictions will end on Monday 19 July.
Limits on social contact will end, meaning there will be no restrictions on indoor or outdoor gatherings. Weddings, funerals and other life events able to take place without limits or restrictions.
All venues currently closed will be allowed to reopen, including nightclubs, and there will be no legal requirement for table service in hospitality settings.
Face coverings will no longer be legally required in shops, schools, hospitality, or on public transport although guidance will be in place to suggest where people might choose to wear one, such as where you come into contact with people you don’t usually meet in enclosed and crowded places.
The government reviews into social distancing and Covid-status certification have also now concluded. The 1m plus rule will be lifted other than in specific places such as at the border to help manage the risks of new variants coming into the country.
There will be no legal requirement on the use of Covid-status certification as a condition of entry for visitors to any domestic setting.
Read more here.
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“This is a much-needed step on the road to normality and we welcome the Prime Minister setting out the direction of travel in advance of reopening.
“But businesses in England still do not have the full picture they desperately need to plan for unlocking.
“Much remains in the balance, firms do not yet know the future of self-isolation rules, if testing will remain free for them, or when international travel will open up effectively.
“Without clear guidance for businesses around the new proposals, there could be real uncertainty on how they should operate going forward and what they should be doing to keep staff and their customers safe.
“This could lead to a fractured, patchwork approach with very different positions being taken by many businesses, across many locations. That, in turn, could severely undermine the public’s trust in reopening.
“All of this means the huge logistical headache firms face around reopening hasn’t disappeared and there remains a real risk of damage to business confidence”.
“Without clear guidance for businesses around the new proposals, there could be real uncertainty on how they should operate."
On contingency plans for the future, Haviland added:
“The Prime Minister has said he does not want to take any backward steps as we emerge from the pandemic and firms welcome this. But our research shows that almost two in five businesses cite concerns about possible future lockdowns as a barrier to restarting or returning to pre-pandemic levels. This rises to 50% for business-to-consumer facing firms such as hospitality and retail.
“We know sectors such as hospitality, catering and events have been particularly badly hit. To give firms the confidence to fully reopen the Government must set out contingency plans for any future virus response, the circumstances under which they would be used, and the support it would provide businesses impacted.”
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