Please see the most recent COVID-19 bulletin below.
CONTENTS
Step-by-step plan announced to ease restrictions in England
The Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, announced to Parliament on Monday 22 February, the government’s roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England.
It published a four-step roadmap to ease restrictions across England and provide a route back to a more normal way of life. Before taking each step, the Government will review the latest data on the impact of the previous step, against four tests on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants to be met at each stage:
- Step 1— no earlier than 8 March* - return to face-to-face education in schools and colleges; the Stay-at-Home requirement will remain, but people can leave home for recreation outdoors such as a coffee or picnic with their household or support bubble, or with one person outside their household. Further limited changes from 29 March, the Stay-at-Home order will end, although many lockdown restrictions will remain, Rule of six or two households outdoors allowed; outdoor sport and leisure facilities open, organised outdoor sport allowed.
- Step 2 – no earlier than 12 April* - Non-essential retail and personal care open; hospitality outdoors open; indoor leisure (gyms and swimming pools) open and self-contained holiday accommodation open. Event pilots begin.
- Step 3 - no earlier than 17 May* – Gatherings of over 30 people remain illegal; outdoor performances such as outdoor cinemas, and outdoor theatres can reopen. Indoors, the rule of 6 or 2 households will apply; indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also reopen. International travel will be subject to review.
- Step 4 – no earlier than 21 June* – No legal limits on social contact, reopening the remaining closed settings like Nightclubs, and larger events, no legal limit on all live events (all subject to review).
- The decision on each stage will be based on data not dates, and government will move cautiously to keep infection rates under control.
The roadmap can be found in full here.
* Earliest possible date
New video content to help keep your business moving
Doing business with Europe has changed. You need to follow new rules on exports, imports, tariffs, data and hiring.
All businesses can find out what has changed, and check their preparations, by visiting new video content from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The short, on-demand videos cover 18 topics, including importing and exporting, rules of origin and audit and accounting. Click here to immediately access the video content. New rules are here – make sure your business is prepared.
Financial Support
Information about repaying Eat Out to Help Out Scheme payments.
Guidance on receiving payments you were not entitled to, has been updated.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
