UK to Reopen Its Economy Gradually and Conditionally

After weeks of dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic like the rest of the world, the UK is finally making plans to reopen its economy. The UK government has finally taken cautious steps towards easing some of the lockdown rules.

On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK economy would slowly reopen conditionally. He said that from Monday, citizens who are not able to work from home will be permitted to return to work, but must avoid using public transport as much as possible. Starting from Wednesday people will be allowed to exercise freely.

Boris said that by June 1, very little children could resume school, with the older kids having some extra time with their teachers at school before the summer break.

There was also a possibility of relaxation spots to reopen by July, and that it would “soon be time” to start quarantining people who travel to the country by air. Instead of a complete travel ban.

The Prime Minister didn’t fail to mention that the new plans were conditional. If the key tests were not met, there is a possibility of reversing the plans. These keys include the rate of the coronavirus spread after easing some parts of the lockdown.

“This is not the time to simply end the lockdown this week… instead, we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures,” Johnson said.

Amid all of these, Johnson warns that the threat level of England is gradually transitioning from stage 3 to stage 4. By all indications, extra caution would need to be applied in England, if they decide to proceed with the easing the lockdown.

While easing the lockdown seems like a great idea for many, Johnson still urges the public to be alert as there is no telling what could happen. In a tweet on Sunday morning, Johnson tweeted a confirmation of the new order from “stay home” to “stay alert.” The basic idea is to officially lift the restrictions off people’s daily routine, but encourage them to stay at home as much as possible and work from home if they can. To also practice social distancing and wear face masks if they must go out.

On April 20, speaking on a webinar, UK Chancellor Phillip Hammond said it was about time for the UK to start reopening its economy. He also added that the UK should be expectant of new business models, changes to government priorities, loss of jobs, and the failure of some firms.

“We’ve got to start reopening the economy and I think the sensible compromise is to reopen it around a set of conditions which assume that, for the time being, we are coexisting with this virus rather than conquering it,” Hammond said.

Regarding Hammond’s suggestion, the UK government sent both private and public signals that suggested a pursue of a more cautious approach towards reopening the UK economy.