Babak Belurs

Kamis, 09 Juli 2020

Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return - BBC News

Leisure facilities and beauty services in England will be allowed to reopen, the government has announced.

Pools, gyms, nail bars and tattooists will be able to open their doors again, and team sports - starting with cricket - will be allowed to resume.

Announcing the changes at a briefing at No 10, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urged people to "work out to help out".

Outdoor performances will also be able to resume with limited audiences.

It came as the UK reported the deaths of a further 85 people who tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths to 44,602.

Mr Dowden said "all the data" was continuing to "move in the right direction" despite the reopening of pubs and restaurants last weekend.

He said normal life was "slowly returning" and that this was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March".

"I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part," he said. "Buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses."

But the culture secretary warned the measures were conditional and reversible, adding that the government would impose local lockdowns if cases started to spike.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

What will reopen when?

Outdoor pools and outdoor theatres will be able to reopen from Saturday 11 July
Grassroots sport will be able to return from this coming weekend, beginning with cricket
Beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close-contact services can reopen "subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services" from 13 July
Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities can reopen from 25 July
Singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments will be allowed in professional environments and Mr Dowden said specific scientific studies on the risks had been commissioned
Small pilots of indoor performances, with socially distanced audiences, will also take place to help work out the best way for them to restart

Not all forms of beauty treatment will be able to go ahead, as some are deemed too high-risk. These include face waxing, sugaring or threading services, facial treatments, make-up application and eyebrow treatments.

Vanita Parti, chief executive of walk-in beauty chain Blink Brow Bar, said that at first she had welcomed the news but then she received an email from the British Beauty Council telling her no treatments to the face would be allowed.

She said: "I'm furious. We can't reopen. Trimming a man's beard is acceptable, but not doing a woman's eyebrows, when both are wearing masks. This will kill so many businesses."

Guidance for the reopening of sports facilities has been published, including on cleaning regimes, social distancing and protection for staff.

Measures include limiting the number of people using a facility at one time, reducing class sizes and spacing out equipment. Face coverings will not be mandatory in gyms.

Small numbers of supporters will be able to watch outdoor sports, provided social distancing measures and group size rules are followed.

Each sport will have to submit an action plan to the government of how it will operate safely, with sports where a single ball is used having to show how they can reduce the risk of it transmitting the virus.

The government said a team led by England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam had been visiting sports sites to see the sector's preparations to reopen safely.

When put to him that the restrictions would make exercise "less fun", Mr Dowden said people would get used to the new measures.

He said: "The judgment we've taken with this [pubs] and swimming pools and elsewhere is it is better to reopen with those restrictions than not reopen at all."

Actors' union Equity welcomed the reopening of outdoor productions but called for further protection for venues, while Julian Bird, chief executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said more clarity was needed regarding indoor performances.

The announcements follow the government's pledge of £1.57bn to support the arts industry.

In other developments:

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2020-07-09 18:31:04Z
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‘Let the EU have them!’ Scottish independence DOESN’T worry Express.co.uk readers - poll - Express

The former boss of polling company Ipsos MORI, Mark Diffley and Sir John Curtice, professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyd, have both highlighted a shift in opinion in recent days. In a Panelbase poll of 1,026 voters in Scotland for the Sunday Times conducted between June 30 to Friday 3, 55 percent would vote yes if a second independence vote were held. With the surge of support in mind, Express.co.uk asked readers, “After shock warning, are you worried about the break-up of the UK?”

In response, 7,423 out of 9,330 said they were not worried about the potential break up of the UK.

A further 1,818 voted ‘yes’ while 89 were not sure.

Commenting on the poll, one person said: “Scotland will go broke without the rest of the UK.

“Military bases would move south, they have no independent banking system, no UK money for their free universities, no NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon: Are you concerned?

Nicola Sturgeon: Are you concerned? (Image: GETTY)

Nicola Sturgeon: The First Minister pushed for a second vote before the crisis

Nicola Sturgeon: The First Minister pushed for a second vote before the crisis (Image: PA)

“Export tariffs, border controls. Bring it on, it will save the rest of the UK a fortune.”

Another said: “Sorry to point this out but Scotland is an economic basket case and has been for over 300 years.

“The Scottish economy only survives because it is propped up by the English taxpayer.

“Let the EU have them.”

JUST IN: Sturgeon humiliated: Rees-Mogg says independent Scotland bankrupt

Nicola Sturgeon: Boris refused a second vote

Nicola Sturgeon: Boris refused a second vote (Image: PA)

Another said: “Scotland can go it alone but not with English money.

“They should not be offered a single penny.

“If they want to be a poor Greece or Macedonia then so be it but they will be back once they realise the grass is not greener on the other side once there is no money in the pot which will be about a day into independence.”

The surge in support has come as some north of the border regard the First Minister as handling the coronavirus pandemic relatively well.

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Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU

Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU (Image: PA)

Nicola Sturgeon: The recent poll showed support to leave the Union

Nicola Sturgeon: The recent poll showed support to leave the Union (Image: PA)

Before the pandemic, Ms Sturgeon had pushed for a second due to the UK leaving the EU.

In 2014, the "once in a lifetime result" saw the 'no' vote win out with 55 percent to 45.

Ms Sturgeon has argued, however, the EU referendum has now changed the parameters of the initial vote.

In 2016, Scotland voted 62-38 to Remain in the EU referendum vote while the UK voted 52-48 to Leave.

A previous survey

A previous survey (Image: Express)

Mr Johnson, however, has rejected any new referendum calls from Ms Sturgeon.

Indeed, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ms Sturgeon herself has so far downplayed calls for a second referendum.

Despite Scotland having one of the highest proportions of COVID-related fatalities, Ms Sturgeon’s approval rating has surged.

In the data from Panelbase Ms Sturgeon’s approval rating had grown by 60 points.

Nicola Sturgeon: The First Minister's approval has grown

Nicola Sturgeon: The First Minister's approval has grown (Image: PA)

In contrast, Mr Johnson’s own approval rating had dropped by 39.

Commenting on the chances of a second independence vote, Mr Curtice claimed he had never seen support for the Union look so shaky.

He said: “Never before have the foundations of public support for the Union looked so weak.

“Unsurprisingly, for many nationalists, the past three months have exemplified how Scotland could govern itself better as an independent, small country.

“More importantly, it may have persuaded some former unionists of the merits of that claim, too.”

This poll opened at 9.08amam on July 9 and was closed at 9.09pm.

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2020-07-09 19:56:00Z
52780898449601

Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return - BBC News

Leisure facilities and beauty services in England will be allowed to reopen over the coming weeks, the government has announced.

Pools, gyms, nail bars and tattooists will be able to open their doors again, and team sports - starting with cricket - will be allowed to resume.

Announcing the changes at a briefing at No 10, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urged people to "work out to help out".

Outdoor performances will also be able to resume with limited audiences.

A further 85 deaths have been announced for the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on 8 July, taking the UK coronavirus deaths total to 44,602.

Mr Dowden said "all the data" was continuing to "move in the right direction" despite the reopening of pubs and restaurants last weekend.

He said normal life was "slowly returning" and that this was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March".

The public should "do their bit" by buying tickets and supporting galleries and other venues, he said, adding: "I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part: buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses."

But the culture secretary said: "All of these measures are conditional and are reversible", and warned the government wouldn't hesitate to impose local lockdowns if cases started to spike.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

What will reopen when?

Outdoor pools will be able to re-open from 11 July

Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities can re-open from 25 July

Grassroots sport will be able to return from this coming weekend, beginning with cricket

Outdoor theatres will be able to start up from Saturday

Singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments will be allowed in professional environments and Mr Dowden said specific scientific studies on the risks had been commissioned.

Small pilots of indoor performances, with socially distanced audiences, will also take place to help work out the best way for them to restart
From 13 July, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close-contact services can reopen "subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services"

Guidance for the reopening of sports facilities, has been published, including cleaning regimes, social distancing and protection for staff.

Measures include limiting the number of people using a facility at one time, reducing class sizes and spacing out equipment. Face coverings will not be mandatory in gyms.

Small numbers of supporters will be able to watch outdoor sports, provided social distancing measures are followed.

The government said a team led by deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam had been visiting sports sites to see the sector's preparations to reopen safely.

When put to him that the restrictions involved in reopening gyms and swimming pools would make exercise "less fun", Mr Dowden said people would get used to the new measures.

He said: "The judgment we've taken with this [pubs] and swimming pools and elsewhere is it is better to reopen with those restrictions than not reopen at all."

Actors union Equity welcomed the announcement but called for further protection for venues, while Julian Bird, chief executive of the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, said more clarity was needed regarding indoor performances.

The announcements follow the government's pledge of £1.57bn to support the arts industry.

She said: "I'm furious.

"We can't reopen. Trimming a man's beard is acceptable, but not doing a woman's eyebrows, when both are wearing masks. This will kill so many businesses."

In other developments:

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Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return - BBC News

Leisure facilities and beauty services in England will be allowed to reopen over the coming weeks, the government has announced.

Pools, gyms, nail bars and tattooists will be able to open their doors again, and team sports - starting with cricket- will be allowed to resume.

Announcing the changes at a briefing at No 10, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urged people to "work out to help out".

Outdoor performances will also be able to resume with limited audiences.

A further 85 deaths have been announced for the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on 8 July, taking the UK coronavirus deaths total to 44,602.

Mr Dowden said "all the data" was continuing to "move in the right direction" despite the reopening of pubs and restaurants last weekend.

He said normal life was "slowly returning" and that this was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March".

But the culture secretary said: "All of these measures are conditional and are reversible", and warned the government wouldn't hesitate to impose local lockdowns if cases started to spike.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

What will reopen when?

Outdoor pools will be able to re-open from 11 July

Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities can re-open from 25 July

Grassroots sport will be able to return from this coming weekend, beginning with cricket

Outdoor theatres will be able to start up from Saturday

Singing and the playing of brass and wind instruments will be allowed in professional environments and Mr Dowden said specific scientific studies on the risks had been commissioned.

Small pilots of indoor performances, with socially distanced audiences, will also take place to help work out the best way for them to restart
From 13 July, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close-contact services can reopen "subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services"

Guidance for the reopening of sports facilities, has been published, including cleaning regimes, social distancing and protection for staff.

Measures include limiting the number of people using a facility at one time, reducing class sizes and spacing out equipment. Face coverings will not be mandatory in gyms.

Small numbers of supporters will be able to watch outdoor sports, provided social distancing measures are followed.

The government said a team led by deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam had been visiting sports sites to see the sector's preparations to reopen safely.

When put to him that the restrictions involved in reopening gyms and swimming pools would make exercise "less fun", Mr Dowden said people would get used to the new measures.

He said: "The judgment we've taken with this [pubs] and swimming pools and elsewhere is it is better to reopen with those restrictions than not reopen at all."

The announcements follow the government's pledge of £1.57bn to support the arts industry.

She said: "I'm furious.

"We can't reopen. Trimming a man's beard is acceptable, but not doing a woman's eyebrows, when both are wearing masks. This will kill so many businesses."

In other developments:

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return - BBC News

Leisure facilities and beauty services in England will be allowed to reopen over the coming weeks, the government has announced.

Pools, gyms, nail bars and tattooists will be able to open their doors again, and team sports - starting with cricket- will be allowed to resume.

Announcing the changes at a briefing at No 10, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urged people to "work out to help out".

Outdoor performances will also be able to resume with limited audiences.

A further 85 deaths have been announced for the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on 8 July, taking the UK coronavirus deaths total to 44,602.

Mr Dowden said normal life was "slowly returning" and that it was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March".

He said the public should "do their bit" by buying tickets and supporting galleries and other venues.

"I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part: buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses," he said.

But the culture secretary said: "All of these measures are conditional and are reversible", and warned the government wouldn't hesitate to impose local lockdowns if cases started to spike.

What will reopen when?

Outdoor pools will be able to re-open from 11 July

Indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities can re-open from 25 July

Grassroots sport will be able to return from this coming weekend, beginning with cricket

Outdoor theatres will be able to start up from Saturday

Small pilots of indoor performances, with socially distanced audiences, will also take place to help work out the best way for them to restart
From 13 July, beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close-contact services can reopen "subject to some restrictions on particularly high-risk services"

Guidance for the reopening of sports facilities, has been published, including cleaning regimes, social distancing and protection for staff.

Measures include limiting the number of people using a facility at one time, reducing class sizes and spacing out equipment.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Small numbers of supporters will be able to watch outdoor sports, provided social distancing measures are followed.

The government said a team led by deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam had been visiting sports sites to see the sector's preparations to reopen safely.

Mr Dowden said face coverings would not be mandatory in gyms.

When put to him that the restrictions involved in reopening gyms and swimming pools would make exercise "less fun", Mr Dowden said people would get used to the new measures.

He said: "The judgment we've taken with this [pubs] and swimming pools and elsewhere is it is better to reopen with those restrictions than not reopen at all."

Mr Dowden said "all the data" was continuing to "move in the right direction" despite the reopening of pubs and restaurants last weekend.

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Coronavirus: Pools, gyms, team sport and outdoor gigs to return - BBC News

Pools, gyms and sports facilities will be able to reopen and team sports and outdoor gigs resume in England, the government has announced.

Outdoor pools and performances can resume from Saturday with social distancing in place, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said.

Beauticians, nail salons and tattooists can also reopen from Monday, he said.

Indoor gyms, sports facilities and pools will be able to reopen from 25 July.

Guidance will be published for team sports to return from Saturday.

Speaking at the televised Downing Street press conference, Mr Dowden said normal life was "slowly returning" and that it was an important milestone for the country's performers and artists, who had been "waiting in the wings since March".

Mr Dowden said the public should "do their bit" by buying tickets and supporting galleries and other venues.

"I'm really urging people to get out there and to play their part: buy the tickets for outdoor plays and musical recitals, get to your local gallery and support your local businesses," he said.

Guidance for the reopening of sports facilities, has been published, including cleaning regimes, social distancing and protection for staff.

Measures include limiting the number of people using a facility at one time, reducing class sizes and spacing out equipment.

Small numbers of supporters will be able to watch outdoor sports, provided social distancing measures are followed.

The government said a team led by deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam had been visiting sports sites to see the sector's preparations to reopen safely.

The culture secretary said the government would stop short of making face coverings mandatory in gyms.

Beauticians, tattooists and tanning salons will be allowed to reopen from Monday but there will still be restrictions would remain on "particularly high-risk services", Mr Dowden said.

A further 85 deaths have been announced for the 24 hours up to 17:00 BST on 8 July, taking the UK coronavirus deaths total to 44,602.

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Tax boss questions value of Rishi Sunak's job bonus and meal discount plans - BBC News

Two schemes unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to stem coronavirus job losses may not be value for money for taxpayers, a top official has warned.

HM Revenue and Customs boss Jim Harra wrote to Mr Sunak to express concerns about paying firms a £1,000 bonus to retain furloughed staff.

He also questioned the value for money of a discount scheme offering 50% off restaurant meals.

The chancellor rejected his concerns, saying action was needed to save jobs.

The exchanges are revealed in letters between the pair during a standard procedure for assessing the effectiveness of policy decisions.

They show Mr Sunak issued so-called "ministerial directions" to instruct officials to go ahead with both programmes.

A Treasury official said a decision to press ahead with a policy in such a manner was a "normal part" of government business.

A number of other emergency coronavirus measures have been approved in the same way where officials have been unable to sign off on cost-effectiveness.

Under plans outlined on Wednesday, firms will be offered a one-off £1,000 "job retention bonus" for every furloughed employee kept to the end of January 2021.

The UK-wide scheme, which will apply to workers earning over £520 per month, has been estimated to cost up to £9.4bn.

'Dead weight'

The government's furlough scheme - currently paying the 80% of the wages of 9.4m employees - will be pared back from next month and end in October.

The chancellor says ministers are "throwing everything" at stemming job losses after UK companies announced thousands of cuts in recent weeks.

But he has admitted some firms will claim the bonus who would be keeping staff on in any case, saying there would be a "dead weight" cost to the policy.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "In an ideal world... you would minimise that dead weight and do everything in incredibly targeted fashion.

"The problem is the severity of what was happening to our economy, the scale of what was happening, and indeed the speed that it was happening at demanded a different response."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the bonus scheme "should be targeted in the areas which most need it, not across the piece".

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson has written to Mr Harra asking him to publish HMRC's modelling of the job bonus scheme.

"Given the huge amount of public money involved, we need to know if public spending on this scale is achieving value for money," the Labour MP said.

'Policy rationale'

Mr Harra also questioned the plan to offer diners a 50% discount for every meal, up to £10 a head, from Monday to Wednesday throughout August, and which is set cost £0.5bn.

In his letters, sent before Wednesday's announcements, Mr Harra said there was "sound policy rationale" behind the aims of both programmes, but it had been hard to estimate their effectiveness.

Of the jobs programme, he wrote: "It has proved difficult to establish a counterfactual for this scheme, which depends on the overall cost of the scheme and the number of extra jobs it would protect, both of which are currently highly uncertain."

He added that he had been unable to conclude the policy "represents value for money" to the standards expected in the public spending guidebook.

The chancellor hasn't done anything wrong here.

Ministerial direction is designed to allow political choices to be made - even if officials don't agree with them.

But these letters from Jim Harra highlight the uncertainty around the key policies in the summer statement.

Quite simply, the government doesn't know how effective they will be, how many jobs they will save, or whether they will provide value for money when we look back on these decisions in a year or so.

Clearly this unprecedented crisis requires some 'out of the box' thinking.

But the chancellor will be judged on the success of his novel policies.

Mr Harra expressed reservations about the plans for meal discounts, saying: "There is insufficient time to gather further evidence and wider external opinions that might enable me to reach a conclusion.

"By nature, this is a novel scheme meaning there are also particular value for money risks surrounding the level of potential losses that could arise."

Replying to the letters from Mr Harra, Rishi Sunak said there were "broader issues" to consider outside the normal guidance on public spending, and there were "compelling reasons" for the action he has taken.

He said the jobs bonus scheme would play a "vital role" in allowing employers to bring back furloughed staff whose jobs would otherwise be at "acute risk".

Defending the meal discount scheme, he said it would make people more likely to visit restaurants and help support up to 1.8m hospitality jobs.

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2020-07-09 14:48:45Z
52780898176939