Shops to start reopening with rules in place
BORIS JOHNSON set out his plans for the staged reopening of shops in England during a Downing Street press conference.
The Prime Minister said: “We will set out our formal assessment of the five tests that we set for adjusting the lockdown later this week as part of the three-weekly review we are legally required to undertake by Thursday.
“But because of the progress we are making I can, with confidence, put the British people on notice of the changes we intend to introduce as we move to step two.”
From June 1, outdoor markets and car showrooms will be allowed to open, provided they can do so safely. Mr Johnson said: “We know that the transmission of the virus is lower outdoors and that it is easier to follow Covid secure guidelines in open spaces.”
From June 15, “all other non-essential retail” will be al“Shops lowed to reopen, contingent on progress in the fight against coronavirus and if the businesses are “covid secure”.
The Prime Minister went on to say that new guidance was being published for the retail sector “detailing the measures they should take to meet the necessary social distancing and hygiene standards”.
now have the time to implement this guidance before they reopen,” he said.
“This will ensure there can be no doubt about what steps they should take.”
He also said the authorities would “have the powers we need to enforce compliance where that is required”.
“I want people to be confident that they can shop safely provided they follow the social distancing rules for all premises,” he added.
Providing the latest statistics, Professor Yvonne Doyle, Public Health England’s medical director, told the briefing that in any week recently 61,000 people might have been infected with coronavirus, adding that this was a “fairly stable” figure.
She said the R number, showing the reproduction of the virus, is estimated to be between 0.7 and 1.
The Government has previously said that if the R number rises above 1 again then stricter lockdown may have to be brought back into effect.
“I want people to be confident that they can shop safely.” Boris Johnson
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