Shops to open until 10PM for six days a week when lockdown ends
SHOPS are set to stay open until 10pm six days a week when they reopen after lockdown, it emerged today.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said giving shops the flexibility to stay open will help people return to high streets safely.
🦠 Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates...
The changes will give people greater flexibility to avoid peak times.
It will also ease transport pressures when non-essential shops open on April 12 at the earliest, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
As it stands, just essential shops have been able to keep their doors open during the lockdown.
But when retail is reopened as part of the Prime Minister's lockdown road map, shops will have the flexibility to open until 10pm Monday to Saturday following the publication of a written ministerial statement on Thursday.
SHOP JOY
The Government is also extending flexible working hours on construction sites.
This will allow food deliveries to supermarkets over more time periods, and keep the flexibility for pubs and restaurants to put up marquees to help increase seating capacity in a Covid-secure way.
Mr Jenrick said: "To support businesses to reopen and recover, I've extended measures to allow shops to stay open for longer.
"This is part of a package of support to help reopen our shops and high streets safely - backed by £56million.
To support businesses to reopen and recover, I've extended measures to allow shops to stay open for longer."
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick
"This will provide a much-needed boost for many businesses - protecting jobs, reducing pressure on public transport and supporting people and communities to continue to visit their high streets safely and shop locally."
It comes as Monday will mark the next milestone in the government's road to freedom out of lockdown.
The 'stay at home' message will be ditched as new rules come into force in England - and here is what you can and can't do.
Millions of Brits were ordered to stay at home under the third national lockdown, working from their own house and unable to meet up with friends in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid.
LOCKDOWN EASING
And under the current rules, many Brits have been fined for not having a reasonable excuse for heading outside.
But Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown has now started to unfold, with the next phase to take place from March 29.
Meanwhile, a senior officer said cops won't arrest people leaving the country despite new Covid laws that risk a £5,000 fine.
Most read in UK News
People in England and Wales face an official holiday ban from Monday - with the threat of a £5,000 fine for escaping.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) chairman Martin Hewitt insisted officers would fine anyone found flouting Covid rules to go on holiday.
But he said barring people from travelling is a matter for UK Border Force, adding: "We are not simply going to arrest people because they are trying to leave the country."
