Next week, England will hit the next phase of Covid rule changes, as outlined by the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.
Rules around outdoor social contact are set to ease, meaning small groups of friends and family will be able to see each other for the first time in months.
On 8 March, the first round of rule changes began as children returned to school and care home residents started to receive visits from their nominated loved one.
Since then, the NHS has hit the milestone of vaccinating half of the UK’s adult population and Covid rates have continued to fall across the nation.
Despite a possible shortage to vaccine supplies in April, Boris Johnson has vowed that his “cautious but irreversible roadmap” won’t be set back. As, such 29 March is set to bring a host of new changes.
What can I do from 29 March?
From Monday, people will be allowed to meet outdoors in groups of up to six from multiple households.
If just two households are meeting, there is no limit on the number of people who may gather together outside.
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Currently, you can only meet with one person from another household for outdoor recreation, such as having a coffee or a picnic.
On top of this, from 29 March outdoor sports facilities like tennis and basketball courts will be allowed to reopen.
People will also be allowed to take part in formally organised outdoor sports again.
Do I still have to stay at home?
The government’s Stay At Home order will end on 29 March – but people will still be encouraged to work from home where possible and stay in their local area while exercising, meeting friends and undertaking other legal activities. Overseas travel remains banned, except for a small number of reasons.
When is the next phase of the roadmap?
The next date for lockdown easing after this is 12 April. This will be an important date for hairdressers and nail salons as personal care businesses and non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen. Libraries, community centres and other public buildings will also be able to welcome visitors.
Outdoor attractions like zoos and theme parks will also be allowed to reopen, no earlier than 12 April. Indoor mixing between different households will remain banned.
Gyms and swimming pools will open to customers, as will restaurants and pubs with beer gardens or outdoor seating. Relaxed licensing rules may even mean that some pubs without beer gardens serve alcohol in makeshift seating areas in their carparks or on terraces.
Can I go on holiday?
From 12 April, people may stay in self-contained accommodation like holiday lets within England. These holiday lets must not have indoor facilities that are shared with other households.
Will funerals and weddings be allowed more guests?
Yes, from 12 April, funerals can continue with up to 30 guests. As for weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes, the number of guests allowed will rise from the current six to 15.
Is there any chance these dates will change?
Boris Johnson has stressed that lockdown lifting will not be accelerated to try to keep Covid case rates and hospitalisations as low as possible, as well as to give businesses a level of certainty about when they can expect to reopen.
But if data shows that cases or hospitalisations are rapidly rising, it’s possible lockdown easing will be slowed. Each date in the roadmap marks the earliest possible day on which the rules can be changed.
Currently, there are some concerns that the rate at which Covid cases are decreasing has begun to slow. Scientific advisers have also urged the government to be wary of the South African variant reaching the UK.
In some European countries like France, a “third wave” of Covid cases has meant that new lockdown measures have had to be imposed. Data suggests that the Kent variant is responsible for the majority of new cases, but thousands have also been linked to the South African variant.
In the UK, it remains important to follow government guidance to stop the spread and try to keep the roadmap out of lockdown on track.
