Advertisement

When is the next lockdown review and what rules could be lifted?

Bathers comply with social distancing in Margate during the May bank holiday weekend - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Bathers comply with social distancing in Margate during the May bank holiday weekend - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..
Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..

Boris Johnson published his "roadmap" for getting Britain out of its coronavirus lockdown on May 11.

"Our plan to rebuild" is a 51-page dossier that set out a three-phase strategy for gradually lifting the current restrictions.

Mr Johnson said that, to save lives, "we must acknowledge that life will be different, at least for the foreseeable future".

The roadmap detailed how the Government would move between three phases using a series of steps.

So which of these phases are we in now, and when will the lockdown be reviewed? Here's what we know.

When did the lockdown begin?

The UK has been on a strict lockdown since March 23. In this first phase the Government aimed to contain, delay, research and mitigate the virus.

But the UK is now exiting phase one. “The longer the virus affects the economy, the greater the risks of long-term scarring and permanently lower economic activity, with business failures, persistently higher unemployment and lower earnings,” the roadmap states.

Remaining in phase one would “damage the sustainability of the public finances”, and the ability to fund the NHS, it adds. So the Government is keen to lift measures, but before it can do that it must review the lockdown.

When was the last lockdown review?

The Government is obliged to review lockdown restrictions every three weeks. The next update is due on Thursday June 25, which is more than 13 weeks since the lockdown began on March 23.

The last review was on May 28, and Mr Johnson made some changes to the rules three days later.

This next review should take place on June 25. Any announced changes are likely to come into force a few days later.

The Government's five coronavirus alert levels
The Government's five coronavirus alert levels

What can we expect from the next announcement?

The next lockdown review is expected to be held on June 25.

It was initially going to be held on June 18, but earlier this month Matt Hancock announced that there would be an extension to the review, in a Written Ministerial Statement, he said:

“To ensure that we are making future decisions about the lockdown at the right time, the maximum review period will change from 21 days to 28 days.

“This will allow decisions to align more closely with the period of time necessary to assess the impact of previous changes on key data feeds, including the R rate."

Possible changes to lockdown measures could include:

  1. Personal care: hairdressers and beauty salons could reopen

  2. Hospitality: Restrictions on pubs and accommodation could be lifted

  3. Leisure: Cinemas, gyms and theatres could be allowed to open again

  4. Public places: Some indoor spaces, such as places of worship could reopen

Read more: When will UK lockdown end?