After Boris Johnson’s speech on Sunday night, the government published a 60-page document on Monday afternoon fleshing out the details on changes to the lockdown. Here is what the changes mean in practice.
Can you meet up with friends and/or family?
Under the previous guidance, people were not permitted to meet up with friends or family. From Wednesday, people will be allowed to meet and sit down with one other person at a time from outside their household, but only outdoors and if they remain two metres apart.
How often can you exercise and what sports can you do?
The previous rules limited people to going out once a day to exercise but people are now permitted to take unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise. The government cites angling and tennis as forms of exercise but says team sports are only allowed with members of the same household. It says people can only exercise with up to one person from outside your household (presumably while maintaining physical distancing, although this is not made explicit).
How far can you travel?
The government previously told people to stay local for exercise after complaints that some rural areas were being inundated by walkers and cyclists who had driven from afar. That has changed. People are now permitted to drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect physical distancing. But people from England are effectively barred from driving to Scotland or Wales because their guidance differs (see below).
Are people supposed to return to their usual place of work?
The advice continues to be that people should work from home “wherever possible”. But from Wednesday, those employed in certain sectors who cannot work from home are advised that they “should travel to work if their workplace is open”. This includes people working in the following sectors: food production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, and scientific research in laboratories. Hospitality and non-essential retail will remain closed.
Is there any change to school or childcare arrangements?
Schools remain closed except to children of critical workers, and vulnerable children. The government said schools and local authorities “should urge more children who would benefit from attending in person to do so”. It is amending its guidance to make clear that nannies and childminders can work, which should enable more working parents to return to work. Reception, and years one and six of primary school could open from the beginning of June.
How can people travel to work safely?
The government says it is working with public transport providers to bring services back towards pre-coronavirus levels as quickly as possible but everybody, including critical workers, should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible. It urges people to cycle, walk or drive if possible. It says guidance for transport operators on how to ensure physical distancing will be published this week.
Can people carry out work in other people’s homes?
The government advice on this remains unchanged. It states: “You are a tradesperson carrying out essential repairs and maintenance in people’s homes, or are carrying out other work in a home such as cleaning or paid-for childcare in a child’s home. You can continue work, providing that you are well and have no symptoms.” Under the rules, this means people are not permitted to get grandparents or other relatives to come round to provide childcare, but they can pay for it.
Do you have to wear a face mask?
The new guidance advises that face coverings should be worn in “enclosed spaces” where physical distancing may be difficult, such as on public transport or in some shops. It explicitly says face coverings should be used as opposed to face masks, which it says must be reserved for healthcare workers and others who need them. It says coverings should not be used by children under two, those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly or those with respiratory conditions.
How do the rules differ across the four home nations?
The changes announced by Johnson apply to England, putting it out of step with the other nations. In Wales, people are allowed from Monday to exercise more than once a day but unlike in England are not permitted to travel “a significant distance” from home. They are not permitted to sunbathe or meet up with others. Garden centres are being allowed to reopen in Wales from Monday provided they can ensure the two-metre physical distancing rule is followed. Councils are also beginning to work on plans to safely reopen libraries and municipal recycling centres.
The only change made in Scotland is the removal of the once-a-day exercise limit from Monday. The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said further changes would be considered in the coming days but the message in Scotland remains “stay at home”.
Northern Ireland extended the existing restrictions for another three weeks on Thursday but the first minister, Arlene Foster, has said changes could be announced in the days ahead, including relating to open-air exercise.