It was confirmed yesterday (Monday 12 July) that England will move to step 4 of easing coronavirus restrictions meaning almost all legal limitations on social contact will be removed on July 19.
What will change on July 19?
- Reopening of all businesses including nightclubs with no capacity limits
- No distance restriction on social contact
- No mandatory legal requirement to wear a facemask (however guidance on wearing in crowded settings and public transport)
- Guidance on working from home will end (but gradual return to work is advised)
- Pubs and restaurants no longer limited to table service only
- No limits on guests at weddings and funerals
- No limits on attendees for concerts, theatres and sporting events
The confirmation of lifting restrictions came with a warning from the PM who said it was vital to proceed with caution with the pandemic not yet over.
Nightclubs and venues with large crowds are being urged to use Covid certification, either vaccination status, proof of a negative test or natural immunity as a matter of “social responsibility”.
England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the “overwhelming view” of the scientific community was that moving “slowly” through the next step of easing restrictions was “essential”.
Responding to news that the full reopening of the economy will go ahead on July 19, Claire Walker, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:
“This is the news that firms across England have been waiting for and many will be sighing with relief to hear the Health Secretary finally give the green-light to reopening.
“But they still don’t have the full picture they desperately need to properly plan for unlocking.
“Business leaders aren’t public health experts and cannot be expected to know how best to operate when confusing and sometimes contradictory advice is coming from official sources.
“Without clear guidance there could be real uncertainty on how companies should operate from July 19 and what they should be doing to keep staff and customers safe.
“This could lead to an inconsistent approach with different businesses reopening at different times and with different requirements which could damage public confidence, give firms a huge logistical headache and create a real risk of the economic recovery splintering.”
On the need for legal clarity, Walker said:
“Firms have been told to make their own judgements on which COVID secure measures to keep and which to ditch. But they are not public health experts and guidance from Government is needed.
“In particular, the government must give clarity on the issues of employment law, health and safety requirements and liability. Firms need to know what will happen if they remove some, or all, COVID-safe measures and then have a large outbreak linked to their premises.”
“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.
“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.”
Sharon Smith, Chief Executive of The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, commented:
“Businesses will be breathing a sigh of relief after the confirmation of continuing on with Step 4 of the recovery plan.
“After months of lost profits, a hit to confidence and depleted cash reserves businesses can now begin to look to the future and the rebuild effort.
“There are however a few areas of concern with confusing and at times contradicting communication from the government. The advice to return to work is met with a “gradual” approach, however this has been left unexplained how gradual this should be.
“The government have also advised people wear facemasks in shops and busy settings however have left it up to businesses to enforce this, which could create problems and confusion with staff facing a difficult time policing this guidance to its customers. This also presents a dilemma for businesses who want to ensure the health and safety of their staff and people coming into their premises.
“Businesses have invested a lot of time and precious resources on ensuring their premises are Covid-secure, if they are now expected to remove these precautions then this may present difficulties if these are needed in the near future.
“Clearer and concise directives from the government is needed in certain areas, the current laissez faire approach is not providing businesses with the confidence they need to fully rebuild after a turbulent 14 months.”
Useful links
- An update on social distancing rules can be found here
- Guidance on face masks can be found here
- Guidance on returning to work can be found here
- Lateral flow tests can be ordered from here.