Wananchi wa Uingereza watalazimika kuvaa barakoa wakiwa kwenye usafiri wa umma. Hii ni pamoja na mabasi na treni.
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New freedoms to work, exercise and meet friends or relatives were unveiled by Boris Johnson, to start a phased shift towards a more normal way of life as time goes on.
But his blueprint advised people not to chat face-to-face in case they spray each other with coronavirus-carrying droplets. Instead people should stand next to each other and wash their clothes more often if working with other people.
A 50-page government document setting out the plan confirmed that from Wednesday everyone in England will have the right to meet one friend at a time in a public space as well as drive out for country walks or sunbathing at the beach. Holiday cottages remain out of bounds, however.
It warned of economic âscarringâ the longer that lockdown drags on, and said those who cannot work from home should now be encouraged to venture back to factories and construction sites, providing social distancing and good hygiene are maintained.
Government experts admitted there was a trade-off between the safety of the full lockdown and the benefits of easing it. One senior expert said of the extra freedom to enjoy the outdoors: âWe are not claiming no risks. But they are very small and proportionate.â
Writing in the foreword, Mr Johnson stressed the need for caution - but also urged people to have hope.
âOur success containing the virus so far has been hard fought and hard won,â he wrote.
âSo it is for that reason that we must proceed with the utmost care in the next phase, and avoid undoing what we have achieved.
âThis document sets out a plan to rebuild the UK for a world with Covid-19. It is not a quick return to ânormality.â Nor does it lay out an easy answer. And, inevitably, parts of this plan will adapt as we learn more about the virus.â
He went on: âBut it is a plan that should give the people of the United Kingdom hope. Hope that we can rebuild; hope that we can save lives; hope that we can safeguard livelihoods.
As of 9 May, said the document, it is estimated that 136,000 people in England were infected with Covid-19.
The PM said a vaccine âmay be more than a year awayâ and therefore his blueprint was needed to get the country running during the wait. He added âWhile we hope for a breakthrough, hope is not a plan.â
He said lockdown and the separation from relatives had been âtoughâ and the risk of loneliness real. âSo, this plan seeks to return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and fairly as possible.â
Face-coverings
For the first time the Government is now advising that people should aim to wear a face-covering from Wednesday in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible - which includes shopping and on public transport.
It stated: âHomemade cloth face-coverings can help reduce the risk of transmission in some circumstances. Face-coverings are not intended to help the wearer, but to protect against inadvertent transmission of the disease to others if you have it asymptomatically.â
A Government expert explained: âIf you think what would catch droplets coming out of your nose, most peopleâs common sense would tell them what to use.â Scarves are an option.
The public should not buy surgical masks or respirators used by the NHS as they are in short supply.
Face-coverings should not be used by children under the age of two, while young children may need help. âIt is important to use face-coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them off,â said the document.
Public spaces
New rules for going outside mean it will be OK, from Wednesday, to meet one other person in a public space such as a park. But social distancing and a gap of at least two metres must be kept.
A garden does not count as a public space, so friends or relatives cannot visit each other.
The document stresses the need for good hand hygiene and common sense.
Exercise with other people
People may exercise outside as many times each day as they wish. This would include angling, sailing and tennis, for example. But playgrounds, outdoor gyms and ticketed venues are all off limits.
Exercise is allowed with up to one person from outside your household â this means team sports are only possible with members of your own household, but tennis in a park is possible.
People may drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there.
Economy
The document warned: âThe longer the virus affects the economy, the greater the risks of long-term scarring and permanently lower economic activity, with business failures, persistently higher unemployment and lower earnings. This would damage the sustainability of the public finances and the ability to fund public services including the NHS. It would also likely lead to worse long-run physical and mental health outcomes, with a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic illness.â
Work
From Wednesday this week and âfor the foreseeable futureâ everyone should work from home if possible to reduce infections and overcrowding on transport.
Those who cannot âshould travel to work if their workplace is openâ. Sectors of the economy that are allowed to be open should be open, for example, food production, construction, manufacturing, and scientific research in laboratories. Hospitality and non-essential retail should remain closed. New guidelines are due tomorrow called âCOVID-19 Secureâ on how to cut the risk of infection at work.
Schools
Nervous parents will not be âfinedâ if they keep children off when schools finally reopen but they will be âstrongly encouragedâ to let them go.
Now: The rate of infection remains too high to allow all schools to reopen so priority should be given to vulnerable children and the children of critical workers for the time being.
From June onwards if infections rare low: Primaries could open for reception, Year One and Year Six pupils. Secondaries could open for teens with exams.
Childrenâs playground must stay shut for the time being.
Travel
Everybody (including critical workers) âshould avoid public transport wherever possibleâ. Those able to walk, cycle or drive should do so.
Pop-up cycle lanes and wider pavements will be rushed out. Where trains and buses are used, social distancing guidance for public transport âmust be followedâ, including from Wednesday the use of face coverings.
The document warned that tougher rules will have to come back if people try to cheat or cut corners. âThese measures may come with some risk; it is important that everyone continues to act responsibly, as the large majority have done to date. The infection rate will increase if people begin to break these rules and, for example, mix in groups in parks, which will trigger the need for further restrictions.â
It revealed that June 6 is the date by which everyone in care homes including people with no Covid-19 symptoms will be tested
Shops to reopen
Non-essential retail could open from 1 June, subject to low infection rates and social distancing.
Weddings
Small wedding parties might be allowed later this year. The Government said it is looking into âhow to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddingsâ.
Bubbles
The Government is taking advice form scientists on the idea of âbubblesâ where two households can combine for the purpose of socialising or childcare. A key aim would be to help isolated people avoid loneliness. If allowed, families would have to choose one other household to merge with, and not change their mind.
Pubs and hairdressers
Personal care services like hairdressers and beauty salons will have to wait for phase three of the easing, due no earlier than July 4.
Pubs, clubs, cinemas and accommodation will be among the last to reopen, in phase three.
Churches and other religious venues will not open in the near future.
Nannies and Child minders
The Government is also amending its guidance to clarify that paid childcare, for example nannies and child-minders, can take place subject to strict rules, because these are roles where working from home is not possible. This should enable more working parents to return to work.
The document says rules may be regional in future â with different restrictions in Cornwall to Newcastle, for example, as well as over the borders in Scotland and Wales.
In the long term, Covid-19 is likely to circulate in the human population, possibly causing periodic epidemics. Large epidemic waves are a risk that will require continuing some measures being kept up.
The document said there has been a 53% drop in urgent cancer referrals in England for the week of 27 April and a 20% drop in cancer treatments for the week of 20 April, which were the most up to date figures.
Urging people not to mix in parks, the document said, âIt is important that everyone continues to act responsibly, as the large majority have done to date. The infection rate will increase if people begin to break these rules and, for example, mix in groups in parks, which will trigger the need for further restrictions.â
Chanzo: Evening Standard