Since the start of January 2021 England has been in lock down, but now things are changing. The Cabinet Office has published a roadmap out of lockdown for England and here is what you need to know about the Step 1 changes :
Changes on 29 March
Social contact
From 29 March, outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either 6 people (the Rule of 6) or 2 households is allowed, making it easier for friends and families to meet outside.
Business and activities
Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools, will also be allowed to reopen, and people will be able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports.
Please however check with the event organiser to confirm when they will be reopening in accordance with the Guidance for Reopening businesses and venues – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Travel
The ‘stay at home’ rule will end on 29 March but many restrictions will remain in place. People should continue to work from home where they can and minimise the number of journeys they make where possible, avoiding travel at the busiest times and routes. Travel abroad will continue to be prohibited, other than for a small number of permitted reasons. Holidays abroad will not be allowed, given it will remain important to manage the risk of imported variants and protect the vaccination programme.
The government has launched a new taskforce to review global travel which will report on 12 April.
Changes on 8 March
Education
Childcare and children’s supervised activities can resume where necessary to enable parents to work or engage in similar activities. The government introduced a twice-weekly rapid testing for secondary and college pupils – in addition to regular testing for all teachers – to reduce the chance of the virus spreading in schools.
Higher Education students at English universities on practical courses can also return from 8 March.
Social contact
People are allowed to leave home for recreation and exercise outdoors with their household or support bubble, if they are eligible for one, or with one person from outside their household. Care home residents are also allowed one regular visitor.
Source
For the complete road map please visit the COVID-19 Response – Spring 2021 (Summary)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary#roadmap-out-of-lockdown
This guidance was issued on 22 February 2021.