More than a year into the pandemic, the end isn’t yet in sight. The UK has vaccinated millions of people but Covid-19 cases are still circulating and new variants are causing concern.
As of March 20, 2021, across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland there have been 4,291,271 positive cases of Covid-19 detected and 126,122 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. In total there have been 146,487 deaths with Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate.
National lockdown rules have been in place since the start of January in England and Scotland, with enhanced rules in place in Wales and Northern Ireland. Here’s what you need to know about the lockdown rules and when they’re likely to change.
What is England's roadmap out of lockdown?
On February 22, Boris Johnson announced his “roadmap” for ending England’s third national lockdown. There are four steps to the lockdown easing and Johnson says these will be based on the number of cases, how vaccinations progress, and whether any new variants emerge.
The four steps of lockdown easing started in early March and will progress until the end of June when – if the data allows it – almost all restrictions will be removed. The full roadmap can be found here.
The first step took place on March 8 when schools returned and people were allowed to meet one other person outside. However, the government is keeping the official “stay at home” order in place until March 29 when the second part of the first step (yes, really) of reopening happens. At this time people will be allowed to gather outdoors in groups of six, or two households. The outdoor meeting rule applies in people’s gardens as well as parks. People will be encouraged to stay local to their homes and to work from home where it is possible to do so.
Large parts of the economy could reopen on April 12 – all dates set out by the government are based around the earliest possible dates when things may change and are subject to review. It is possible these dates could slip. However, if all goes to plan then April 12 will see non-essential retail, hair and nail salons reopen. Public buildings such as museums will also be allowed to open again. Hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants will be able to serve people at outdoor tables. Gyms and other indoor leisure facilities are also planned to reopen at this point, however people can only go alone or with people from their own households. Holiday rentals can also reopen. The number of people at funerals and weddings will also be allowed to increase to 30 and 15, respectively.
The lockdown easing’s third step in England will happen by May 17 at the earliest. Indoor mixing will be allowed up to groups of six people and pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open indoors. Hotels, cinemas and other indoor venues will also reopen at this point (with the rule of six still in place). Sports stadiums will be allowed to reopen to fans, with the largest stadiums allowed to have 10,000 people in at once. Weddings will be allowed to have up to 30 people in attendance. The government is conducting a review into international travel but this is the earliest that it may be allowed again – beyond existing exemptions.
The final step of the lockdown easing will happen no earlier than June 21. At this point limits on mixing, both outdoors and indoors, are planned to be removed and any parts of the economy that are closed will be able to reopen.
Alongside the roadmap the government says it is running four studies to guide how and when restrictions are lifted. The first of these is looking at the return of non-essential international travel. The Department for Transport is reviewing how more flights can take place and will determine when people can travel abroad again – its review is due to conclude on April 12, although international travel won't return until May 17 at the earliest.
The other government reviews are looking into how long social distancing will be required and how long people should work from home; one is looking at the return of large crowds to events; and the final review is considering whether England should use some form of "status certificates". These could show whether people have had the vaccine or been tested and may allow the economy to reopen more broadly. The government says it has not made any decisions on the reviews, which are all scheduled to be completed before step four of its plan is introduced.
What are the key lockdown exit dates
March 8: Schools to reopen for all; people can meet one other person outside
March 29: Outdoor meetings of six can happen; ‘stay at home’ order lifted
April 12: Non-essential retail can reopen; pubs and restaurants can serve people outdoors; holiday rentals resume; gyms and indoor leisure can reopen for individuals
May 17: Indoor mixing in groups of six; pubs and restaurants open indoors; hotels, cinemas and other indoor venues reopen; sports stadiums allow some fans inside; international travel may return (pending a separate review)
June 21: Indoor and outdoor mixing limits removed
What are the current lockdown rules in England and when did they start?
England is still under a national lockdown, although this is slowly easing and started with schools opening on March 8. The lockdown started on January 4, when prime minister Boris Johnson announced England would enter its third national lockdown. The lockdown has a clear message: people should stay at home and not mix with others, unless a legal exemption applies. The lockdown law was published on January 5 and MPs voted to approve it the following day. This is accompanied by a series of guidelines that are more understandable than the law.
People should only leave home for a few purposes: for work, if it is unreasonable for people to do their jobs from home; for volunteering purposes; for essential activities, such as shopping; for education and childcare, where it is open and available; for meeting other people in support or childcare bubbles or to provide care; for medical reasons; exercise, which should happen once a day at most; to escape from harm or visit someone who is dying; for animal welfare reasons and for communal worship or attending funerals.
Many businesses are closed and people cannot mix with others. People are still required to wear masks in indoor public spaces including shops, socially distance from other people when they are around them and limit the use of public transport unless it is not possible. Weddings and civil partnerships can still take place, although only with a maximum of six people in attendance. Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. People are still allowed to move home – although people outside of households and support bubbles should not help.
The government says that people who can work from home should do so – this includes the vast majority of office workers. During the third lockdown, the government’s guidance says the following businesses should remain closed: hospitality venues, including, cafes, pubs, bars and more that aren’t providing takeaway or delivery; non-essential retail, including clothing and homeware stores, betting shops, mobile phone shops and more; hotels, hostels and guest houses for general purpose stays, except for essential work purposes of if people cannot return home; leisure facilities, including gyms and golf courses; entertainment venues, including museums, bingo halls, cinemas and theatres; personal care facilities, including hairdressers and beauty parlours must also close.
The government has also published some guidance on where is able to stay open, a list which includes: food shops, supermarkets, garden centres, market stalls, business providing repair services as a primary offering, petrol stations, automatic car washes, banks, laundrettes, animal rescue centres, places of worship, car parks, and storage and distribution services.
People working in trades and other areas where it is necessary to go in the homes of others, such as nannies, cleaners and social care workers can continue to do so, the government says. It adds that employers should discuss their working arrangements with employees and “take every possible step” to make it easier to work from home, including “providing suitable IT and equipment”.
England’s lockdown rules generally prohibit people from meeting and gathering – the rules are designed to stop people meeting others and transmitting the virus. People should not meet with family or friends unless they are part of their household or support bubble. As such there are very limited circumstances when it is possible to meet people from different households. “You should minimise time spent outside your home,” the government says.
People are allowed to meet others if they are in support or childcare bubbles with them. There are strict rules around who can form support bubbles and childcare bubbles. Otherwise, people are allowed to meet one other person from a different household for outdoor exercise.
As with other lockdowns, police still have the power to fine people who are not following the law. For a first offence people can be fined £200 through a fixed penalty notice, if multiple offences are committed the penalty notices can double all the way up to £6,400. There are also provisions that allow fines of £10,000 to be issued where people have organised large gatherings.
What are the lockdown roadmaps for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
On January 4, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would enter its own national lockdown. People were told they should only leave their homes for essential purposes – such as shopping, exercise, healthcare and childcare. People who can work from home must do so and non-essential retail and hospitality businesses have been told to close.
Scotland’s national lockdown started to be eased at the start of March – when two people from separate households were allowed to meet outside. From March 12, four adults from two households have been able to meet outside and within people’s gardens. Non-contact sports also started to be allowed outside again from this date. The first pupils started attending school again on February 22 but this has since been expanded and now most children are able to attend school.
The Scottish government, depending on the scientific data, is planning to remove its ‘stay at home’ order on April 5. At this point up to six people from two households will be able to meet outside and some shops will start to reopen. From April 26, shops bars restaurants, gyms and hairdressers are likely to start reopening. As with the lockdown situation in England, the date will be based on data and the number of cases being detected.
Wales started its national lockdown before any other UK nation, on December 20. It has also been one of the first to start lifting it. From March 13 its ‘stay at home’ rule was replaced with a new ‘stay local’ rule that says people should aim to stay within five miles of their homes. Also on March 13 four people from two households are allowed to meet outside, indoor care home visits by one person could start, and outdoor sports facilities (including tennis courts and golf courses) were allowed to reopen.
From March 15 all primary school pupils returned to school along with those in exam years. Also some non-essential services, such as hairdressers and barbers were allowed to reopen for people with appointments. From March 22 supermarkets can reopen their non-essential item aisles and garden centres are allowed to reopen. And from April 12 non-essential retailers will be allowed to reopen, with other pupils also returning to school.
Northern Ireland introduced a lockdown on December 26, which ordered all non-essential retailers to close. At the start of January first minister Arlene Foster said that people should stay at home and only leave their homes with a "reasonable excuse" – as is similar in other nations. People are allowed to meet in up to groups of six, with a maximum of two households being present, as long as they are outdoors. No indoor mixing with other households is allowed. As is the case elsewhere in the UK, all schools are shut for all but essential workers and vulnerable children, with remote learning in place for others.
On February 18, Northern Ireland announced its lockdown would extend to April 1. According to reports the decision was made to decrease the chance of a rise in cases around St Patrick's Day. While the lockdown has been extended, children aged between four and seven will start attending school again from March 8. A review of the lockdown measures and which children can go to school will take place on March 18.
When will pubs and restaurants reopen?
Pubs and restaurants were some of the last businesses to reopen following the first lockdown and this is likely to be the same this time. The picture across the UK is mixed.
In England, pubs may be able to reopen from April 12. However, they will only be able to serve people outdoors and tables inside will not be available. It is planned pubs and restaurants will be able to open indoors from May 17 when groups of six people will be able to meet inside. Planning restrictions have been relaxed to allow pubs to erect temporary gazebos and marquees so people can eat and drink outdoors.
Pubs in Scotland can reopen outdoors from April 26, when the country is moved into its level three lockdown measures. They will be able to serve groups of six until 10pm – this is in contrast to England where no curfew is being put in place. However, both England and Scotland have said food does not need to be served alongside alcohol. Scotland is also planning to reintroduce indoor drinking and dining on May 17.
In Wales no set date has been put on the reopening of pubs and restaurants – a decision on this will be announced at its review of restrictions on April 22. Officials have said that there will be no curfews placed on establishments but there will be rules on the number of people indoors and table service.
When will lockdown end and will this be the last lockdown?
In England, the start of the end of lockdown was marked by schools reopening on March 8. With the current round of lockdowns, political leaders are warning of a cautious approach to reopening their countries.
On February 15, Johnson told a press conference that he was looking at the data ahead of February 22 when he would set-out a series of dates for potentially reopening parts of the country. As with the easing of the first lockdown in summer 2020, his plan includes reopening certain parts of the economy (e.g. hospitality venues) at a point when the government believes the number of cases are low, pressure has been eased on the NHS and vaccinations are protecting the most vulnerable. All lockdown restrictions could be removed by June, Johnson's plan states.
However, further lockdowns have not been ruled out. A new variant of Covid-19 could emerge and be immune to vaccines. "I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to go ahead and open things up, but to say I can give an absolute cast iron guarantee that we won't face further difficulties and have to think harder and deeper about some problems, no at this stage I can't," Johnson has said.
A picture of caution is similar across other parts of the UK. Wales’ health minister, Vaughan Gething, has said that that if there was a “significant upswing” in new cases or the emergence of other, more dangerous, variants then there could be the potential of further lockdowns being introduced in the future.
Showing the prolonged and ongoing seriousness of the pandemic, The Telegraph has reported that coronavirus lockdown laws have been extended in England until July 17. The laws give local councils powers to shut restaurants, pubs, shops and other businesses. While the laws have been extended, it does not mean lockdowns will necessarily last this long.
Updated March 22, 2021 10:00 GMT: This article is being regularly updated to include the latest information about the UK lockdown. This article was originally published at 09:45 GMT on March 24, 2020
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
