Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, has today received a commitment from the Prime Minister to visit North West Durham later this year.
The Prime Minister has today set out his roadmap out of lockdown in a statement in the House of Commons. Following the huge success of the Government’s vaccine programme, which Richard has welcomed, and the coronavirus cases falling, the Government has now announced the steps that will see an easing of the restrictions over the next few weeks and months.
On March 8th
- All schools and colleges will open
- Exercise will be allowed with one other person outdoors
On March 29th:
- The rule of six or two household rule will be in place outdoors
- Outdoor sport and leisure facilities will open
- Organised outdoor sport will be allowed
- Outdoor parent and child groups will be allowed with up to 15 children
No earlier than April 12th:
- Indoor leisure (including gyms) will open
- Outdoor attractions such as zoos will open
- Libraries and community centres will open
- Personal care will open
- All retail will open
- Outdoor hospitality will open
- Indoor parent and child groups will open
- Domestic overnight stays will be allowed
No earlier than May 17th:
- Indoor entertainment and attractions will open
- The rule of six or two households will be in place indoors
- Indoor hospitality will open
- Organised indoor adult sport, such as fitness classes, will be allowed
- Weddings and funerals will be allowed to take place with up to 30 people
- All outdoor entertainment will open
- International travel will be allowed in some cases
No earlier than June 21st:
- No legal limits on social contact will be in place
- Nightclubs will be allowed to open
- No legal limits on events such as weddings and funerals
You can find the full information about the easing of restrictions here.
Richard spoke in the House of Commons to welcome the news that the country will be safely exiting the lockdown, allowing the economy to get going, schools to reopen and friends and families to meet up. When invited up to North West Durham, the Prime Minister committed to visiting the constituency as soon as it is safe to do so.
Commenting, Richard said:
“It is simply fantastic that we have now got a roadmap out of lockdown – over the next few weeks and months we will start to see a return to normal – after the year we have had, this is the good news we have all been waiting for and I am glad that the approach to exiting lockdown is that the lifting of restrictions should be done in a safe way.
“The Government has worked incredibly hard throughout the pandemic to ensure financial support has been available for everyone and the lifting of restrictions will ensure the economy can get going again. The vaccine rollout has been incredibly successful, and I have had numerous constituents get in touch to thank the Government for their work in this area.
“I very much look forward to welcoming the Prime Minister to North West Durham later this year.”
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