Businesses ready for big reopening
BUSINESSES have said they are “delighted” to be reopening as part of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions in England.
Theatres, casinos and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen from this weekend as the Government resumes its easing of lockdown restrictions.
From today, socially distanced audiences will be allowed back into indoor venues, while wedding receptions of up to 30 people will also be permitted.
Tattoo studios, beauty salons, spas and hairdressers will all be able to offer additional services from today, including front of face treatments such as eyebrow threading.
Alice Bellamy, from Calne in Wiltshire, has been a beauty therapist for 27 years and runs specialist laser hair removal studio Woman to Woman & The Male Perspective Ltd. The 67-year-old said: “I am overjoyed and so are my clients, my phone has been hot, hot, hot.
“I have booked in a facial treatment tomorrow morning already and I have got lots more coming in the next week that I couldn’t do previously.”
The lockdown restrictions were due to be eased on August 1, but a spike in coronavirus cases at the time resulted in them being paused for two weeks.
The reopening comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that fines for repeatedly refusing to wear a mask could soar to £3,200 and organisers of illegal raves could face a £10,000 penalty.
At present, people who refuse to wear a face covering where it is required face a £100 fine, which can be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, but under the new measures, that penalty will double for subsequent offences, up to a maximum of £3,200.
A clampdown on illegal gatherings of more than 30 people could see those responsible hit with spot fines of up to £10,000, a Number 10 source indicated.
Meanwhile, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps denied suggestions that decisions to ease lockdown restrictions were taken primarily for economic rather than epidemiological reasons.
Mr Shapps had been asked about the comments of Professor John Edmunds, a member of Sage, who said the situation over the last few weeks had not changed very much from a “scientific point of view”.
Asked if the decision was taken for economic reasons, Mr Shapps responded: “No, we’ve measured this based on what the Office for National Statistics say about it and they’d expressed concerns about a slight increase in England’s test positives.
“And you’ll recall that we put on hold the measures which, as you mention, are now coming into place. They’ve now suggested that that situation has levelled off.”
Grosvenor and Genting casinos both said they were looking forward to opening the majority of their casinos.
However venues will not be allowed to reopen in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire or Leicester.
In these areas people face a third week banned from meeting others as the latest evidence shows no decrease in the number of coronavirus cases, according to the Department of Health.
Households in areas of the North West, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Leicester cannot mix indoors – unless they are in a support bubble – and limits remain on numbers meeting outside.