On Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out the path out of lockdown, revealing key dates for schools returning, non-essential shops opening and Britons being able to socialise. Speaking from Downing Street Mr Johnson said: “Thanks to the vaccinations there is light ahead, leading us to a spring and a summer, which I think will be seasons of hope, looking and feeling incomparably better for us all.”
Signifying the slow return to normality, from March 8 all pupils in England’s schools are expected to return to class, with increased implementation of face masks and testing in secondary schools.
Also from March 8, socialising in parks and public spaces with one other person will also be allowed.
Mr Johnson said: “This is not the end today but it is very clearly a road map that takes us to the end.”
He told a Downing Street press conference it would be a “one-way journey, we very much hope”.
Read More: When will universities reopen?
Research by AlphaWise at US bank Morgan Stanley found UK workers said they wanted to spend an average of 2.4 days per week working remotely in the future.
And more than six in 10 (62 percent) of office workers believe they will go back into the office around June 2021.
They surveyed 12,500 people across the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy – 2,500 in each country – at the end of January.
Morgan Stanley said: “Despite vaccine rollouts and tighter lockdowns, this estimate has moved later in all countries surveyed since the last survey from December, by around 1.5 months, and now stands around June, on average.
“Clearly, this will not only impact office utilisation in 2021, but the leisure and retail property that depends upon the return to normal commuting patterns.”
Key dates in lockdown roadmap
- March 8 – Children can go back to schools, socialising in parks and public spaces with one other person permitted.
- March 29 – You can meet up to six people, or two households, outdoors. Organised sport can take place. Stay home turns into stay local.
- April 12 – when shops, hairdressers, nail salons, libraries, outdoor attractions and outdoor hospitality venues such as beer gardens may reopen.
- May 17 – when two households or groups of up to six people may be allowed to mix indoors and crowds of up to 10,000 in the largest venues will be allowed at performances and sporting events.
- As soon as possible” and no later than step three, when ministers committed to reviewing social-distancing guidance that has prevented loved ones from hugging for nearly a year.
- June 21 – when all remaining restrictions on social contact could be lifted, larger events can go ahead and nightclubs could finally reopen.
