The Prime Minister has announced that gyms and non-essential shops in all parts of England will be able to reopen when lockdown ends next month.
Boris Johnson has advised that England will return to three-tiered regional lockdown measures from 2nd December, with tougher regulations to be introduced at all levels.
A further announcement will be made on Thursday, which will outline which regions will be in which tiers.
This is likely to be based on several factors, such as case numbers, R rates and the pressure on the NHS locally.
These tier allocations will be reviewed fortnightly, with this regional approach set to last until March 2021.
Here is a summary of changes announced by the Prime Minister:
- Spectators will be allowed to return to some sporting events
- Weddings and collective worship will resume
- Where pubs are allowed to open, last orders will now be at 10:00 pm, with customers allowed a further hour to finish their drinks
In tier one:
- People should continue working from home where possible
- a maximum of six people can meet indoors or outdoors
In tier two:
- only pubs serving meals are able to open
- no mixing of households is permitted indoors apart from support bubbles
In tier three:
- hospitality will close except for delivery and takeaway
- indoor entertainment venues most close entirely
- household mixing is not allowed indoors, or in most outdoor places
When commenting on plans for the upcoming Christmas period, Mr Johnson said: "I can't say that Christmas will be normal this year but in a period of adversity time spent with loved ones is even more precious for people of all faiths and none. We all want some kind of Christmas, we need it, we certainly feel we deserve it."
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