Hairdressers, pubs, restaurants and hotels can reopen from 4th July

The Prime Minister has announced further changes to lockdown measures in England to reopen businesses and to get the economy moving again.

From Saturday 4th July, the Prime Minister has announced that many businesses and venues in England can reopen, providing they adhere to COVID Secure guidelines.

The following businesses can reopen from 4th July:

• Hotels, B&B's, holiday homes and campsites
• Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars
• Cinemas, museums, galleries and bingo halls
• Hair salons and barbers
• Libraries and community centres
• Places of worship
• Outdoor playgrounds and gyms
• Funfairs, theme parks and amusement arcades

Businesses must adhere to the COVID Secure guidance before reopening. The guidance is to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely and to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

• Working safely during coronavirus
• Guidance for close contact services (hairdressers, beauticians, massage therapists etc)
• Guidance for shops and branches
• Guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services
• Guidance for hotels and guest accommodation
• Guidance for the visitor economy (accommodation, attractions, events etc)
• Guidance for offices
• Guidance for working in other people's homes

The following businesses must stay closed until further notice:

• Nightclubs
• Beauty salons and nail bars
• Spas
• Massage, tattoo and piercing parlours
• Indoor gyms and swimming pools
• Soft-play areas and bowling alleys

The Government is continuing to work with these sectors to establish taskforces to help them to become COVID Secure and reopen as soon as possible.

Also from 4th July, Boris Johnson has set out that two households will be able to meet up in any setting with social distancing measures, and that people can now enjoy staycations in England with the reopening of accommodation sites.

Following a review, the Prime Minister has also set out that where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’. This means staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.

As Government begin to reopen the economy, it’s important that the risk of transmission is not increased, which is why “close proximity” venues need to remain closed for now.

While the infection rate continues to fall, the Prime Minister has been clear that the public must continue to follow social distancing guidelines to keep coronavirus under control. The Government will keep all measures under constant review and will not hesitate to apply the handbrake, or reverse measures, should the virus begin to run out of control.

These changes apply in England only.