With the government’s roadmap out of lockdown giving clear direction to how and when different parts of the economy can begin to reopen, we are confident that over the coming months we will see #ReigateBackInBusiness. Below is a round up of what will change on 12th April, 17th May and 21st June according to the latest Government guidelines. You can search by sector using the following link to discover many of our fantastic local businesses as they prepare to reopen their doors.
12th April
The easing of restrictions on the 12th April marks Step 2 of the government’s roadmap. The overall aim on this date is to reopen the indoor premises of many businesses which have been closed for quite some time, as well as most outdoor attractions and outdoor hospitality venues.
The following businesses and activities will be permitted to reopen on Monday 12th April:
- Non-essential retail, such as clothing and department stores
- Personal care premises, such as barbers, hairdressers and nail salons
- Outdoor hospitality, such as pub gardens and restaurants offering al fresco dining
- Public buildings, such as libraries and community centres
- Indoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and indoor sport courts (providing they are used alone or with members of the same household)
- Outdoor attractions, such as zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas
- Self-contained accommodation, such as campsites and holiday lets (providing indoor facilities are not shared with other households)
Changes to the rules around events from 12th April are as follows:
- Funerals can continue with up to 30 people in attendance
- The number of people allowed to be present at a wedding, wedding reception or commemorative event will rise to 15
17th May
Step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown gets in motion on Monday 17th May. This step will ease the limits on seeing family and friends, with the government hoping to allow the public to decide on the appropriate level of risk for their circumstances. It is also positioned to open the majority of businesses in sectors which are considered the highest risk.
Here is an overview of what will open as part of Step 3:
- Indoor hospitality, such as restaurants and pubs (providing guests order, eat and drink while seated)
- Indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas and children’s play centres
- Indoor accommodation, such as hotels and B&Bs
- Indoor adult group sports and exercise classes
- Performances and sporting events in indoor venues with a capacity of 1,000 or half-full – whichever is a lower total
- Performances and sporting events in outdoor venues with a capacity of 4,000 people of half-full – whichever is a lower total. In the largest outdoor seated venues, where crowds can be spread out, a capacity of up to 10,000 will be allowed, or a quarter-full – whichever is a lower total.
The following changes to events will be made on 17th May:
- Weddings, wedding receptions, funerals and wakes will be able to have up to 30 people in attendance. This will also apply to other significant life events such as christenings and bar mitzvahs.
21st June
The 4th and final step of the roadmap takes places on Monday June 21st. Here the government aims to remove all limits on social contact and reopen the remaining higher-risk premises, such as nightclubs and bars where table service and social distancing is not possible. The restrictions on large events and performances laid out in Step 3 will also be eased (subject to results gathered by the Events Research Programme which will test the outcome of pilot events).
With the hope that all of our wonderful local companies can open up again over the coming months and we can begin to get back to socialising with friends and family, we should all carry on following safety guidelines and keep an eye on the GOVUK website as there is a possibility that the easing of restrictions may change.