Lockdown Update - 31/05/2020

Please note that the following applies to England only! Each of the nations of the UK have their own regualtions relating to lockdown.

Yesterday, the government made new regulations to amend the lockdown rules in England. For ease, you can see the amended regulations on the Legislation.gov site here, or you can read just the amendment PDF here.

These take effect from today (1st June 2020) and the key points are:

• There is no longer a general prohibition against being outside your home without reasonable excuse. This has been replaced with "No person may, without reasonable excuse, stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living." This is, in effect, a sleepover ban.

• Gatherings of six people outside is now legal in any configuration of households. Gatherings of more than six are prohibited without reasonable excuse and the regulations provide an exhaustive list of reasonable excuses (see the new regulation 7).

• Gathers of two or more people are prohibited inside, without reasonable excuse. Such excuses are members of the same household or for work purposes.

In short, the lockdown has been greatly eased across England and the largest restriction on the population since wartime (the restriction to not leave home without reasonable excuse) no longer applies.

It remains to be seen what enforcement will take place of the restrictions on gathering and there is ample criticism of this easing, which is beyond my knowledge to comment on.

Hope that helps clarify some immediate questions on the state of the lockdown.