Roadmap out of lockdown: Here's how West Sussex MPs responded
Most have welcomed it, but some want the unlocking to be faster
MPs across West Sussex have welcomed the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown – but some have said the unlocking should be faster than it is.
Boris Johnson on Monday afternoon announced a series of steps in which he sets out the principles of transition out of lockdown and hopefully back to normality by June 21 at the earliest.
From March 8, pupils and students in all schools and further education settings will return to face-to-face teaching, supported by twice-weekly testing of secondary school and college pupils, and people will also be able to meet one person from outside their household for outdoor recreation, such as a coffee on a park bench, in addition to exercise.
Every care home resident will be able to nominate a named visitor, able to see them regularly provided they are tested and wear Personal Protective Equipment.
From March 29, the Rule of Six will return outdoors including in private gardens. Outdoor meetings of two households will also be permitted. And outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis and basketball courts will be able to reopen, and people will no longer be legally required to stay at home, but people should continue to work from home where they can and minimise all travel wherever possible.
Non-essential retail, hairdressers, indoor leisure facilities such as gyms, as well as holiday-lets for use by individuals or household groups, will reopen no earlier than April 12, and pubs and restaurants will be able to re-open from that date too for outdoor service.
Restrictions on meetings outdoors will be lifted, no earlier than May 17, subject to a limit of thirty people, and groups of no more than six people or two households will be able to meet indoors, and from that date, pubs and restaurants will open indoors, as will hotels, hostels and B&Bs.
And from no earlier than June 21, all remaining restrictions could be lifted, including the reopening of nightclubs, full stadiums for sporting events, and the end to the requirement to work from home if you can.
Infection rates have fallen by just under a third in the space of a week in West Sussex, with the latest data showing 762 cases being reported in the seven days to January 17th - down from 1,120 in the seven days prior.
Horsham now has an infection rate of less than 50 per 100,000 residents at 48.7, while the rate is lower than 100 per 100,000 in Adur (52.9), Chichester (80.1), Mid Sussex (71.5) and Worthing (75.1)
Arundel and South Downs MP Andrew Griffith was among those to lend his support to the Prime Minister's plans during yesterday's Commons debate:
"More than anything, the nation's businesses need certainty in order to plan. Today's roadmap provides that certainty and reopening schools is a welcome and critical element within it."
Mr Griffith also welcomed the Government's commitment to look into the return of all students to university campuses, while expressing disappointment that only those on practical courses will be able to return on March 8th.
The re-opening of schools, as well as further education settings such as colleges and universities, has also been supported by Chichester MP and Apprenticeships Minister Gillian Keegan:
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, called the re-opening of schools from March 8th 'very welcome news'.
But he also expressed concerns that the re-opening of pubs and the wedding industry were too slow for his liking:
Sir Peter Bottomley, Father of the House and MP for West Worthing, has urged caution to ensure the planned four stages of the roadmap can be delivered on time.
"We must all act in a spirit of togetherness, to maintain the positive momentum of recovery, to save lives and to enable us to follow this roadmap towards normality.
"We must not act selfishly but, rather, consider the health and wellbeing of those around us as restrictions begin to be eased."