Breaking News: Pubs And Shops In England Can Reopen Next Monday

BREAKING NEWS: Boris announces that pubs and shops can reopen next Monday

In his much anticipated public address this afternoon, Boris Johnson has announced that restrictions will indeed be eased as part of his roadmap out of lockdown on Monday, April 12. Speaking from No10, the Prime Minister confirmed that non-essential businesses such as hairdressers, shops, and gyms could reopen, while bars, restaurants and cafes also got the green light to reopen their outdoor terraces, with table service only.

A jovial Boris announced: “On Monday the 12th I will be going to the pub myself.

We set out our roadmap and we are sticking with it. We see nothing in the present data that suggests we will have to deviate from that roadmap.”

Regarding the controversial issue of Covid passports, the Prime Minister was a good deal more vague. Dodging the fears that in the future these passes may be required to gain entry into pubs, Boris claimed that further “consultation with industry, as part of the review of social distancing rules and taking into account the equalities and other impacts.”

However, a Government review published ahead of the PM’s address indicated that Covid passports are “likely to become a feature of our lives” for the foreseeable future.

According to the roadmap review:

“Even without Government intervention, COVID-status certification is likely to become a feature of our lives until the threat from the pandemic recedes…”

The government has refused to answer the all-important question on whether non-essential foreign travel will definitely be able to resume on May 17, but the Prime Minister did confirm the implementation of a new three-level “traffic light” system drawn up by the government’s Global Travel Taskforce for when foreign holidays do resume. Holidaymakers to Spain are waiting anxiously for news on this subject- so are the thousands of businesses in the county eager to see an influx of Brits back on Spanish soil.

Boris said at the press conference that he is “hopeful” of hitting the May 17 deadline but is hesitant to make any promises.

“I do not wish to give hostages to fortune or to underestimate the difficulties that we are seeing in some of the destination countries that people might want to go to.

“We don’t want to see the virus being re-imported into this country from abroad, plainly there is a surge in other parts of the world and we have to be mindful of that and we have to be realistic.”

The new traffic light system will see countries rated as red, amber or green; their level will be determined by many factors including the number of people vaccinated and the current rate of infection. Travellers returning to England from green list countries won’t have to quarantine, although negative Covid tests will be required. However, those returning from red list destinations will be subject to a ten-day hotel quarantine, while English visitors to amber countries will be allowed to quarantine at home.