LONDON (UK) – The UK is all set to outline its plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown this week, health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday. It will include relaxing the two-metre rule on social distancing, allowing many businesses to reopen in early July.
Many people working in the hospitality and leisure sectors have said the two-metre rule will prevent them from being able to operate as lockdown measures are lifted.
“We’re about to see another step in the plan,” Hancock told BBC TV. “This week we will announce further details of the measures we can take to relieve some of the national lockdown measures at the start of July, including on July 4.”
Asked if the two-metre rule would be amended in the plans to be announced this week, he said: “I very much hope that we can.”
The minister said there were mitigations to allow people to be closer than two metres while limiting the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus and they would issue details about how businesses could comply.
He said there is a possibility of people having to register their details before going to a pub or a restaurant.
“I certainly wouldn’t rule that out,” he said.
“The proposals that we will bring forward are how you can safely, safely reduce the two metres with the sort of mitigations we have been talking about,” he said.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field
