UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Monday, confirmed that pubs, restaurants, and non-essential retail across England will reopen on 12 April as a large section of the country’s economy is set to reopen following Covid-19 restrictions.
The government also confirmed that retail and hospitality businesses will be allowed to use new Covid vaccine certificates to determine whether people can enter their venues or not later this year.
The Prime Minister today confirmed that the country was on track to meet the previously laid out roadmap out of lockdown, thanks in part to the country’s Europe-leading vaccination programme.
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Outdoor hospitality, non-essential retail, gyms, hairdressers, beauty salons, libraries, and community centers will all be allowed to reopen from Monday.
Pubs and restaurants will only be allowed to have tables of a maximum of six people from two households outdoors at a time, with everyone needing to be seated.
Johnson said the UK’s efforts in trying to get Covid rates down were ‘paying off‘.
‘We think that these changes are fully justified by the data which show we are meeting our four tests for easing the lockdown,’ he said.
It comes as Covid-19 infections and deaths today hit their lowest point in the UK since last September, thanks to the effect of vaccines and months of lockdown.
More than 31.5m people have now received at least one jab of a Covid-19 vaccine, with all over-50s set to have been offered a jab by 15 April.
A further 26 people died of coronavirus today, taking the 7-day tally to 248 – a 44 percent week-on-week drop.
The government also released an update of its review on Covid vaccine passports, with businesses set to be allowed to use them later this year when social distancing restrictions are eased.
The review said ‘Covid-status certification is likely to become a feature of our lives’ until ‘the threat from the pandemic recedes’.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK