London — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday pubs, restaurants and hotels could reopen in England early next month when the social distancing rule is relaxed, easing the coronavirus lockdown that has all but shut the economy.
On Tuesday, he said that with infection rates falling and because of a belief that there was little threat now of a second wave of Covid-19 cases, he could reopen swathes of the economy and try to get life in England back to something like normal. “Today we can say that our long, national hibernation is beginning to come to an end,” he told parliament. “All hospitality indoors will be limited to table service and our guidance will encourage minimal staff and customer contact.”
Hairdressers would be allowed to reopen along with places of worship, most leisure facilities and tourist attractions such as theme parks. However, nightclubs, indoor gyms and swimming pools will stay closed.