(Photograph from 2019)
As residents may know, this week the Prime Minister announced the latest steps in the roadmap, which provides the basis for our transition out of lockdown.
Firstly, many more businesses will soon be able to welcome customers again. From Saturday 4 July, pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will be able to re-open, provided they adhere to COVID Secure guidelines.
The government is working hard to support these businesses in making the transition. New guidance was published yesterday, outlining how they can re-open while keeping staff and customers safe. In addition, today the government will be introducing legislation to Parliament which will allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to serve customers outside.
The Prime Minister also announced that some leisure facilities, including outdoor gyms and playgrounds, cinemas, libraries, places of worship and community centres, may also be able to re-open from 4 July if they can do so safely. People will also be able to enjoy holidays in England, with the re-opening of accommodation sites.
Secondly – also from 4 July – there will be changes to who you can meet up with. From this date, two households will be able to meet up in any setting, as long as social distancing is observed. The social distancing rules will be revised, so that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, the guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, while using mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.
These developments are good news for Elmbridge residents and businesses. They will make it easier for people to see more of their friends and families, and allow many businesses which have been struggling in recent months to re-open.
We can only take this step now, because of the progress we’ve made to bring down the number of new cases and deaths from COVID-19. The risk level was recently lowered from Level 4 to Level 3 by the Joint Biosecurity Centre. As we take this next step along the transition, it will be even more important for local residents and business owners to ensure that they are carefully following the updated guidelines.