Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the roadmap to “cautiously” ease lockdown restrictions in England and confirmed key dates for sport, travel, events and outdoor activities.
Speaking in Parliament on 22 February, Johnson said the roadmap outlines four steps for easing restrictions and before proceeding to the next level, the government will examine the data to assess the impact of previous steps.
From 29 March outdoor sport facilities will reopen and from 12 April self-contained holiday accommodation, outdoor attractions, indoor sports and leisure facilities are permitted. From 17 May the remaining holiday accommodation and indoor areas of hospitality venues can reopen. While from 21 June it is hoped all legal limits on social contact can be removed and capacity crowds can return to sports stadiums and major events.
In his statement in parliament, Johnson said: “The turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate subject in all cases to capacity limits depending on the size of the venue. And we will pilot larger events using enhanced testing, with the ambition of further easing of restrictions in the next step.”
The new measures mean that up to 10,000 fans could be back in stadiums by mid-May if a series of “pilot” events are successful.
There are a number of major events taking place in the summer that should see the return of fans. Euro 2020 matches will be hosted at Wembley Stadium, including both semi-finals and the final. The Wimbledon tennis grand slam is scheduled for 28 June to 11 July while the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone is on Sunday 18 July. There’s also a summer of cricket for England’s men’s and women’s teams.
Four steps out of lockdown: key dates and reopenings
Step one: from 29 March
In a group of six, or with members of up to two households, people can use the following outdoor sport facilities: gyms, swimming pools, sports courts (such as tennis and basketball courts), golf courses, including mini golf, water sports venues, climbing walls, driving and shooting ranges, riding arenas at riding centres, archery venues.
Step two: no earlier than 12 April
At this stage the venues must only be attended/used in line with the wider social contact limits – as a single household or bubble indoors; or in a group of six people or two households outdoors (unless an exemption exists).
- Self-contained holiday accommodation in which all facilities (including for sleeping, catering, bathing, and indoor lobbies and corridors for entry and exit) are restricted to exclusive use of a single household/support bubble can reopen.
- Outdoor areas at hospitality venues (cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, social clubs, including in member’s clubs) can reopen, including for takeaway alcohol. These venues may allow customers to use toilets located inside.
- Outdoor attractions can reopen at adventure parks and activities, animal attractions (such as at zoos, safari parks and aquariums), drive in events, such as for cinemas, theatres, and other performances, film studios, funfairs and fairgrounds, model villages, museums and galleries, skating rinks, theme parks, trampolining parks, water and aqua parks.
- Outdoor gatherings or events, organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation, can be organised, subject to complying with Covid-secure guidance including taking reasonable steps to limit the risk of transmission, complete a related risk assessment; and ensure that those attending do not mix beyond what is permitted by the social contact limits.
- This could enable spectators at a grassroots sports match or a village fete, provided people do not mix beyond groups of six people or two households.
- Non-essential retail will reopen and includes retail travel agents.
- Indoor sports and leisure facilities will reopen including gyms and leisure centres, sports courts, swimming pools, dance studios and fitness centres, driving and shooting ranges, riding arenas, archery venues, climbing wall centres.
Step three: no earlier than 17 May
At this stage the venues must only be attended/used in line with the wider social contact limits – in a group of six people or two households indoors; or in a group of no more than 30 people outdoors (unless an exemption exists).
- Remaining holiday accommodation can reopen.
- Indoor areas of hospitality venues can reopen. As with outdoors, table service will be required.
- Indoor entertainment and visitor attractions can reopen, including cinemas, theatres, concert halls, museums and galleries, adventure playgrounds and activities, amusement arcades and adult gaming centres, bingo halls, casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks, games, recreation and entertainment venues such as escape rooms and laser quest, play areas (including soft play centres and inflatable parks), model villages, snooker and pool halls, trampolining parks, water and aqua parks, indoor visitor attractions at theme parks and film studios, indoor attractions at zoos, safari parks, aquariums and other animal attractions, indoor attractions at botanical gardens, greenhouses and biomes, indoor attractions at sculpture parks, indoor attractions at landmarks including observation wheels or viewing platforms, indoor attractions at stately or historic homes, castles, or other heritage sites, conference centres and exhibition halls, including for the purposes of business events (subject to the capacity limits set out below).
- Remaining outdoor entertainment events, such as cinemas, theatres, and other performance events will also be permitted.
- Both outdoor and indoor gatherings or events, organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation can be organised, subject to them complying with COVID-Secure guidance.
- Spectators will be allowed at elite sporting events and performance events. Attendance at these events will be restricted to 50% of capacity up to 1,000 people for indoor events, and 50% of capacity up to 4,000 people for outdoor events. For outdoor events taking place in venues with seated capacity of over 16,000, event organisers may apply a 25% capacity cap, up to a maximum of 10,000 seated people.
- Large business events will also be able to go ahead, subject to the same capacity requirements as sporting events and performances.
Step four: no earlier than 21 June
- The hope at this stage is to reopen remaining settings such as nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.
- Lift restrictions on social contact and large events that apply in step three. This is subject to the outcome of the Events Research Programme, and a review of social distancing measures.
- The government will also look to relax Covid-secure requirements on businesses, subject to the outcome of the reviews.
What the sports organisations said
The England Football Association
“The FA is absolutely delighted fans will be allowed back soon. The game is simply not the same without them and we look forward to the return of full stadia as soon as it is safe and possible.”
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Wimbledon
“We welcome the government’s announcements and we look forward to continuing to work with them and the rest of sport with the ambition of welcoming spectators safely to our events this summer. We will continue to plan based on our aspiration of staging the best Championships possible with the health and safety of all our guests, staff and competitors remaining our highest priority. We remain focused on developing our plans within the scenarios of full, reduced and no public capacity so that we can remain as agile and flexible as possible to the government and public health situation.”
The Lawn Tennis Association
“We know sport has a key role in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation, so its return will give a boost to the whole country, and is very welcome. Clearly tennis is a naturally socially distanced and safe activity and so we would have liked restrictions to be lifted without delay and made the case for this. However, we’re now focused on supporting venues, coaches, officials and players to prepare for the return of outdoor tennis on 29 March.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
“The ECB welcomes the government’s decision to permit grassroots cricket to return across England in time for the start of the 2021 season. We will continue to work closely with the Welsh Government on the return of recreational cricket in Wales. We are very pleased to see the return of spectators to grounds from mid-May. Our leading venues believe they have the technology and know-how to return capacity crowds and we look forward to working with the government to identify ways this can be achieved in a safe and controlled manner.”