Step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England

On Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister set out the government’s roadmap in Parliament for the cautious easing of lockdown restrictions in England.

• The government published a four-step plan designed to ease restrictions across England and provide a path back to a more normal way of life. Before moving to each stage, it confirmed that it would review the latest data from the previous step against four key tests, including vaccine progress, infection rates and the impact of new coronavirus variants.
• Step 1 – no earlier than 8 March* – Schools and colleges will return to face-to-face teaching. The Stay at Home requirement will remain in place, but people will be allowed to leave home for outdoor recreation, such as meeting for a coffee or picnic with their household, support bubble, or one person from another household. From 29 March, further limited changes will apply: the Stay at Home order will end, although many restrictions will remain. The rule of six or meeting as two households outdoors will be allowed, outdoor sport and leisure facilities can reopen, and organised outdoor sport can resume.
• Step 2 – no earlier than 12 April* – Non-essential retail and personal care services can reopen. Outdoor hospitality will resume, indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and swimming pools can reopen, and self-contained holiday accommodation will be permitted to open. Event pilot schemes will also begin.
• Step 3 – no earlier than 17 May* – Gatherings of more than 30 people will still be illegal. Outdoor venues such as cinemas and theatres will be allowed to reopen. Indoors, the rule of six or two households will apply. Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play centres, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also be able to reopen. International travel will be reviewed at this stage.
• Step 4 – no earlier than 21 June* – The government aims to remove legal limits on social contact, reopen remaining closed venues such as nightclubs, and allow larger events to return, all subject to review.

Each stage will be guided by the data rather than fixed dates, with the government taking a cautious approach to keep infection rates under control.

Read the full details of the roadmap…

With the government previously confirming that the Job Retention Scheme would not be extended beyond the end of April 2021, employers were waiting closely for news of the Chancellor’s plans ahead of his Budget statement on Wednesday 3 March 2021 at 12.30pm.