BRITS who are desperate to hit the shops will be wondering when non-essential retail will open again.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today reveal his roadmap out of lockdown, where it’s expected he will announce when stores can welcome back customers.
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Other dates the PM is expected to announce include schools reopening from March 8.
It’s then thought the rules will be further relaxed on March 29, when either six people or two households will be able to meet outside.
Pubs and restaurants are not expected to open before May, while large outdoor events such as football matches and music festivals are expected towards the end of that month.
The rest of restrictions will be eased in May and June with inside mixing and drinking — with the hope of normality by July, when every adult will have been offered a coronavirus jab first dose.
But what does the roadmap look like for non-essential shops?
When will non-essential shops reopen?
The PM is expected to allow non-essential shops to reopen towards the end of April.
However, we won’t know this for sure until Mr Johnson confirms his roadmap out of lockdown in the House of Commons at 3.30pm, and later as part of a Downing Street conference at 7pm.
At the moment, only shops that are deemed essential by the government are allowed to open.
This includes stores that sell important goods such as food, medicines and DIY equipment for home repairs – see the full list below.
Shops that aren’t essential, and are currently closed for walk-in customers, are ones that sell items like clothing, toys and homeware products.
However, these stores have been allowed to stay open during lockdown for home delivery and click and collect orders.
Again, you can see a full list of what is closed below.
Mr Johnson placed England into its third national lockdown on January 4 as he urged households to stay at home to control the spread of coronavirus.
During the first lockdown, non-essential shops were closed from March 16 until June 15.
For the second lockdown, non-essential retail closed for four weeks, from November 5 until December 2.
What shops and businesses are open right now during lockdown?
Here is a full list of “essential” businesses that have been allowed by the government to stay open during lockdown:
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Garden centres
- Building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences
- Market stalls selling essential retail
- Businesses providing repair services but only if they primarily offer repair services
- Petrol stations
- Automatic (but not manual) car washes
- Vehicle repair and MOT services
- Bicycle shops
- Taxi and vehicle hire businesses
- Banks and building societies
- Post offices
- Short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
- Funeral directors
- Laundrettes and dry cleaners
- Medical and dental services
- Vets and pet shops
- Animal rescue centres, boarding facilities, and animal groomers
- Agricultural supplies shops
- Mobility and disability support shops
- Storage and distribution facilities
- Car parks
- Public toilets
- Motorway service areas
- Outdoor playgrounds
- Outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise
- Places of worship
- Crematoriums and burial grounds
What non-essential shops are closed right now during lockdown?
The following types of retailers have been classed as “non-essential” and are therefore shut during lockdown.
They can still offer click and collect and home delivery services.
- Clothing shops
- Homeware shops
- Toy shops
- Vehicle showrooms (other than for rental)
- Betting shops
- Tailors
- Tobacco and vape shops
- Electronic goods shops
- Mobile phone shops
- Auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment)
- Market stalls selling non-essential goods
The PM last week told ministers there will be no backsliding on his goal of getting kids back to class from March 8 – despite a mutiny by Sage scientists.
Sir Jeremy Farrar said Covid infections must be cut from the current 750,000 to just 9,000 “before we can think about lifting restrictions”.
Meanwhile, Prof John Edmunds said opening schools could push the R rate above 1, and some restrictions will be needed until Christmas.
