Lockdown Relaxation Plan 8 Mar - 21 Jun 2021

Below is a summary of the Government's plan for relaxing the current Covid 19 lockdown taken from a Penzance BID email to members.  

The Government has stated that the following criteria must be satisfied in order for the relaxation programme to progress to the next phase:

1. The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan.
2. Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying with the virus or needing hospital treatment.
3. Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions.
4. New variants of the virus do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions.

The roadmap to reopening in England:

• Step 1. From 8 March - All schools will open with outdoor after-school sports and activities allowed. Recreation in outdoor public spaces - such as a park - will be allowed between two people, meaning they would be allowed to sit down for a coffee, drink or picnic. Secondary and Further Education pupils will be required to wear face coverings in classrooms and shared spaces where social distancing is not possible.

• Step 1 cont'd. From 29 March - Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed, this will include gatherings in private gardens. Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts will reopen.

• Step 2. From 12 April - Relaxations to permit more of the economy to reopen:
  • Non-essential retail opens, hairdressers and public buildings like libraries and museums.
  • Pubs and Hospitality with outdoor seating (no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks and no curfew). 
  • Zoos and theme parks.
  • Indoor leisure including swimming pools and gyms.
  • Self-contained holiday accommodation, such as self-catering lets and camp sites

BUT ........Wider social contact rules will continue to apply in all settings meaning no indoor mixing between different households will be allowed. Funerals continue with up to 30 people, and weddings with up to 15 guests.

• From 17 May - Hospitality and tourism sector is opened:
• "Rule of six" abolished for outdoor gatherings, replaced with a limit of 30 people:
• Two households can mix indoors - with the rule of six applied in hospitality settings like pubs or restaurants.
• Pubs and bars - table service only (no curfew or requirement to eat a substantial 
• Cinemas, hotels, performances and sporting events reopen - though social distancing remains
• Up to 10,000 spectators can attend the very largest outdoor seated venues like football stadiums
• Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes.

 From 21 June - the return to a new normal.

• All legal limits on social contact removed
• All closed sectors of the economy reopened - including nightclubs.
• All restrictions on weddings and funerals will also be abolished.

There are further details available on the government gateway.