UK stores to reopen as lockdown eases
Thousands of high street shops, department stores and shopping centres are expected to reopen next month, announced Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday.
He mentioned that outdoor markets and car showrooms could be reopened as soon as COVID-19 guidelines are followed, and all other non-essential retail from June 15 if the government’s targets are met.
Johnson is keen to restart an economy which has been badly affected since the UK went into lockdown, but there are fears a second peak of the virus could happen if measures are eased too quickly.
The Prime Minister said, “Today, I want to give the retail sector notice of our intentions to reopen shops, so they too can get ready. There are careful but deliberate steps on the road to rebuilding our country."
The government made it clear that shops selling clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books, and electronics, plus tailors, auction houses, photography studios, and indoor markets, would be expected to reopen from June 15, giving them three weeks to prepare.
Businesses would only be able to open from those dates once they had completed a health risk assessment, in consultation with trade union representatives or workers, and are confident they are managing the risks.
Source: Reuters