Pubs, restaurants and hairdressers still on track to open from July 4

PUBS, restaurants and hairdressers are still on track to be able to reopen from July 4, the Business Secretary confirmed tonight.

Alok Sharma said tonight that it was still the Government's "ambition" to reopen more places next month.

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It came as the Government confirmed that non-essential retail including clothes, bike shops and charity stores will be able to open from next Monday as planned.

Brits will be able to hit the high street for the first time in 11 weeks to pick up anything they like - but they will have to stay 2m apart from others and follow strict social distancing rules.

Mr Sharma confirmed the Government was working to the timetable laid out by the Prime Minister last month, and the opening date for the hospitality sector would not be until July.

He said this evening: "There are businesses which still remain closed.

"As soon as we can, we will publish further guidance for restaurants, pubs and bars as well as hairdressers, barbers, nail bars and related services.

"These documents will provide practical steps to allow them to reopen in a manner that is safe as possible.

"I know there has been a lot of speculation about when we might be able to reopen

"I understand why we are all so keen, I share that.

"We continue to follow the roadmap which sets out our ambition to reopen these sectors from 4 July at the earliest."

The Government is under increasing pressure to relax the 2 metre social distancing rule so shops can recover quicker by allowing more people into their shops.

Restaurants and pubs are worried they won't be able to keep to the 2m rule, or will risk losing huge amounts of their business.

But Mr Sharma said again today that the rule would not be relaxed until it's safe to do so.

The 2m rule is always "under review" and the science continues to be looked at.

Boris Johnson a fortnight ago promised to do a fresh review of the 2m social distancing rule ahead of the 15 June.

"It will only change when it is safe to do so," he said tonight.

Professor Chris Whitty has said that the 2m rule should stay in place until the end of the epidemic.

But the PM wants to relax it to enable more businesses to reopen, and help the economy to reover.

Sarah Albon, the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive suggested today that if the rate of infection drops, the rule could be changed.

"The chance of them passing it on at 2m is significantly less than 1m or 1.5m," she said.

"It requires a view both of the chance of the infection being passed on, but also the prevalence in society."