Wellingborough Forum is a discussion group, online and on Facebook to share activities and to debate issues. To start the conversations off, we will be posting a poll at the start of every week; and to start off with we are asking about the lockdown roadmap. Are restrictions being lifted at the right speed? What do you think?
- Is the Lockdown roadmap taking us down the right track?
- With cases rising in Europe are we moving to quickly?
- With the success of our vaccination program are we relaxing rules too slowly?
This is how will lockdown is planned to be lifted in England:
What’s already changed?
- Schools and colleges have reopened, and university students can return for practical courses
- Two people from different households can meet outside for recreation, which can include “a coffee on a bench”
- Care home residents can have one nominated visitor, with testing and social distance precautions
From 29 March:
- People will be allowed to meet outside, either with one other household or within the “rule of six”, including in private gardens
- The stay at home rule will end, but the government will urge people to stay local as much as possible
- Outdoor sport facilities will reopen, including golf courses and tennis and basketball courts, and formally organised outdoor sports can restart
- Weddings attended by up to six people can take place in any circumstances
Stage two (no earlier than 12 April):
- All shops allowed to open, along with close-contact services, including hairdressers and beauty salons (including in people’s homes)
- Restaurants and pubs allowed to serve food and alcohol to customers sitting outdoors
- Gyms and spas can reopen, as can zoos, theme parks, libraries and community centres
- Members of the same household can take a holiday in the UK in self-contained accommodation
- Weddings attended by up to 15 people can take placeA waitress serving food in a pub garden
Stage three (no earlier than 17 May):
- People can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors
- Six people or two households can meet indoors
- Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues can seat customers indoors
- Up to 30 people can attend weddings or other life events, like christenings
- Remaining outdoor entertainment, such as outdoor theatres and cinemas can open
- Indoor entertainment such as museums, theatres, cinemas and children’s play areas can open
- Performances and large events can restart, but with limits on audience numbers
- Hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopenInternational leisure travel may resume
- Adult indoor group sports and exercise classes can restart
Stage four (no earlier than 21 June):
- All legal limits on social contact will be removed
- No legal limits on the number of people who can attend weddings, funerals and other life events
- Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen
What are the four tests for easing restrictions?
Each stage will be a minimum of five weeks apart and four conditions must be met at each stage before proceeding to the next one:
- The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan
- Vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying or needing hospital treatment
- Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions
- New coronavirus variants do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions
Please choose one of the options online or on Facebook, and if you want to share why, add a comment.