TACKLE S OUT FOR SWINGERS
HOPE FOR LOCKDOWN END Fishing and golf set to start in days
GOLFERS, gardeners and anglers will be the first to benefit when Boris Johnson reveals the limited easing of lockdown tonight.
Schools will also begin a phased reopening at the start of next month, beginning with Year 6 primary leavers.
But to deter those tempted to breach social distancing rules, fines will be hiked from £60 to £100, rising to £3,200 for serial offenders.
Garden centres, repair shops and hardware stores can reopen from tomorrow.
Non-contact sports such as golf and fishing are set to resume soon after. The PM will reveal his roadmap out of lockdown on TV at 7pm after a Cobra meeting this afternoon.
A No10 source said: “This is a critical moment.
“We must not risk a second peak which might overwhelm the NHS.”
Work safety guidance will be published this week, though home working will go on for most. Only outdoor work like building will be encouraged.
Mr Johnson will also say that all visitors to the UK must quarantine for 14 days, provoking howls of anguish from aviation and tourism bosses. Labour’s Commons Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said: “It appears the Government is playing catch-up at the borders.”
The plan for a staggered return of schools and colleges should mean they are up and running before the summer holidays but it will depend on how the Year 6 return goes.
Pupils may either have to attend on alternate days or be taught in smaller groups in different classrooms.
The plan is to review things every two weeks and clamp down again if infections rise.
The early stages will also see the NHS resume regular appointments and treatment.
Later this summer, outdoor bars and cafes could reopen along with some businesses.
More shops will be able to trade, though shopping centres are likely to remain shut.
As infection rates keep going down, small weddings and baptisms will be allowed and hairdressers will reopen.