OPENING TIME
ALL shops including stores selling clothes, toys and furniture to reopen by June 15, Boris Johnson reveals
SHOPPERS and retailers were given a massive boost last night after Boris Johnson announced the imminent easing of the high street lockdown.
Outdoor markets and car showrooms will be able to get back to business from June 1, the PM declared.
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All other non-essential shops are to be allowed to reopen their doors from June 15 to help struggling high streets get back up and running.
Mr Johnson last night hailed the move as a step on the road to “rebuilding our country”.
And he urged Brits to get out and “spend” to help the economy to “bounce back”.
The new relaxation measures will pave the way for millions of people to head back to work.
It means clothes shops, department stores and independent retailers can finally break free of the lockdown, imposed since March 23.
Mr Johnson said at the No10 press conference that people should “get out and enjoy themselves in the open air from June 1” if they can.
He added: “I am certainly not going to discourage them from spending at all.
“It is early days but we are very much hoping there will be a bounce back over the course of the next few months.”
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Mr Johnson said the unlocking was possible as infection rates have remained low — and he hailed Brits for following social distancing rules.
Yesterday, there were 121 recorded deaths from coronavirus in the UK — one of the lowest death rates since the crisis blew up.
The Prime Minister said the “progress we are making” means England can now move to “step two” of its lockdown easing.
He told the No10 press conference: “I want to give the retail sector notice of our intentions to reopen shops, so they too can get ready.
“So I can announce that it is our intention to allow outdoor markets to reopen from June 1, subject to all premises being made Covid-secure, as well as car showrooms, which often have significant outdoor space and where it is generally easier to apply social distancing.
“We know that the transmission of the virus is lower outdoors and that it is easier to follow Covid-secure guidelines in open spaces.
“That means we can also allow outdoor markets to reopen in a safe way that does not risk causing a second wave of the virus.”
He added: “Then, from 15 June, we intend to allow all other non-essential retail, ranging from department stores to small independent shops, to reopen.”
The Sun Says
IT seems bonkers to be so thrilled about the shops opening. But it is glorious to see ANY lockdown restrictions lifted.
What a welcome boost to our shattered economy it will be. We can only hope pubs follow shortly after. And we entirely agree with economics professor Eyal Winter on the urgency of that.
It will be easier if social-distancing is cut from two metres to the WHO’s recommended one. If, as the professor suggests opposite, limiting how many drinks we can buy will thin out crowds to safer levels, then fine.
We do have a hunch, though. Some just might be tempted to have their limit in one boozer, then start afresh in the next.
We could call this sneaky activity a “pub crawl”.
Shops flouting coronavirus guidelines will be punished, he warned.
It comes after Mr Johnson announced on Sunday that schools will start reopening from June 1.
Ministers are also said to be considering plans to let people hold barbecues and garden parties with family and friends from the end of next month.
Downing Street thinks the loosening of restrictions would help lift the nation’s spirits as they spend a summer at home, the HuffPost reported.
The garden party plan could also be part of a wider move to allow Brits to mix in “social bubbles” of up to ten people outdoors.
Some believe the move could also help win support for the reopening of schools, where kids can be kept safe by placing them in “protective bubbles” of 15 and a teacher.
The news comes as it was revealed the UK death toll from the coronavirus rose yesterday by 121 in all settings, reaching a total of 36,914. It marks the second-lowest number since lockdown measures began in March.
However, the figures may reflect a lag in reporting over the Bank Holiday weekend and are likely to increase during the working week.
The Department of Health and Social Care also confirmed 73,726 tests had been carried out on May 24, with 1,625 positive cases recorded. The death toll in hospitals in England rose by 59 yesterday — one of the smallest daily increases during the pandemic.
However, NHS England said the number may be larger as the computer system used to collate deaths was down for almost all of Sunday.
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It added: “The system is now fully operational and the reports of any deaths which were not able to be entered yesterday will be uploaded and reconciled.”
London only reported four deaths yesterday, while the Midlands recorded the most at 15.
There were eight new fatalities in Northern Ireland, seven in Wales and three in Scotland.
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UK coronavirus death toll grows by 121 in to 36,914 in second-lowest rise since lockdown