Outdoor markets and car showrooms will reopen from June 1 with retailers following two weeks later

Boris Johnson has tonight announced plans to lift the shutters on Britain’s shops in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Outdoor markets and car showrooms will be allowed to reopen from June 1, if they adhere to strict social distancing guidelines, the Prime Minister announced at the daily coronavirus press conference at Downing Street this evening. 

Retail shops, including department stores and independent businesses, will be allowed to reopen from June 15, he also announced.

But all shops wanting to reopen will have to follow new guidance, set to be released today, if they are to be allowed to reopen.

And Mr Johnson warned the government will have powers to enforce those guidelines if necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking at the conference tonight, he said: ‘Today I want to put the retail sector on notice of our intention to reopen shops so they can get ready to reopen.

‘So I can announce that it is our intention to allow outdoor markets to reopen on June 1, subject to premises being Covid secure, as well as car showrooms which often have sufficient out door space.

‘From June 15 we intend to allow all other non-essential retail, ranging from department stores to small independent shops to reopen.

‘We will set out our formal assessment of the five tests that we set for adjusting the lockdown later this week as part of the three-weekly review we are legally required to undertake by Thursday.

‘But because of the progress we are making I can, with confidence, put the British people on notice of the changes we intend to introduce as we move to step two. 

‘We know that the transmission of the virus is lower outdoors and that it is easier to follow Covid secure guidelines in open spaces.’ 

Mr Johnson added that the government will today publish social distancing guidelines to help shops become ‘Covid secure’ before reopening.

He said: ‘This will ensure there can be no doubt about what steps should be taken.

‘We will of course have powers to enforce these conditions, where it is required.’ 

From June 15, the government intends to allow all other non-essential retail, including department stores, to reopen. Pictured: Department store Debenhams

Independent retailers will also be allowed to reopen from June 15, the government today announced. Pictured: A high street on the Isle of Man

The boost to retail comes as government figures, released today, showed there had been 121 more deaths related to coronavirus across all settings, taking the official death toll to almost 37,000.  

It marks the lowest Monday death toll since the UK’s draconian lockdown was enforced on March 23 (74 deaths). For comparison, 160 fatalities were announced last Monday and 118 were recorded yesterday. But officials warn that death numbers released on Sundays and Mondays are usually significantly smaller due to a delay in processing fatalities over the weekend.

Department of Health chiefs also announced 1,625 more Covid-19 cases today, the first time the UK has recorded fewer than 2,000 positive tests in the space of 24 hours in almost nine weeks. Separate figures showed 8,800 Brits are currently in hospital being treated for coronavirus – down 12 per cent in a week. 

The Prime Minister’s announcement in the Downing Street press conference tonight came after his aide Dominic Cummings refused to apologise for driving 260 miles to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.

Vote Leave maverick Mr Cummings – who is facing calls to be sacked – faced accusations of ‘double standards’ but he told a press conference in the Number 10 Rose Garden: ‘I don’t regret what I did.’

In other developments to Britain’s coronavirus crisis today:

• Britons descended on parks and beaches amid an expected 79F heatwave as they declared, ‘If Dominic Cummings can break the rules, we can too’;
• An NHS hospital in the Somerset seaside hotspot of Weston-super-Mare was forced to stop taking new patients due to a high number of coronavirus cases; 
• Newsreader Simon McCoy slammed his BBC colleague Gary Lineker for abusing his position after the Match of the Day host accused the Prime Minister of lying;
• Schools face a long journey before they are able to return to normal, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said as he insisted classes must restart on June 1.