On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England is ready to begin the next phase of reopening amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Eased restrictions will begin on May 17, allowing indoor hospitality venues to offer services once again. Along with restaurants, bars, and cafes, casinos will also be allowed to reopen.

Level Three

England will begin level three of the lockdown exit next week, with Johnson stating that region remains on track to move into step four by June 21. At that point, all restrictions will be removed across England. More details on the fourth phase should be provided in the coming weeks.

According to the Prime Minister, the unlocking is a considerable step on the road back to normality. He is confident that England will be able to continue to phase down and reopen fully. Guidance has been updated on several fronts including close contact between friends and family, with the risks associated with everyone making their own choices made clear.

Residents of England are encouraged to remain vigilant when it comes to the coronavirus. People should continue to social distance and stay away of the variants that are occurring around the world. The Prime Minister stated that around two-thirds of UK adults have been vaccinated, which helps in the recovery process.

The reopening of casinos in England will be a welcome sight. Gaming venues have been shut down more than open over the past year due to the severity of COVID-19 in the area. The hope is that citizens will continue to play it safe so businesses like restaurants, casinos, and bars can remain open and everyone can start to feel normal once again.

High Street Betting Shops Reopen

Just last month, the retail bookmakers in England and Wales were allowed to reopen betting shops. The venues were forced to close for just over 13 weeks due to a third lockdown connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening of the high street betting shops was a step in the plan by the Prime Minister to gradually get back to a sense of normalcy.

While allowed to reopen, the betting shops were still restricted to some degree. Chairs or live pictures from sporting events were not allowed upon opening. Strict capacity levels were put in place and only eight people were allowed inside at one time, upon opening.

Operators were advised to remain open only through eight o’clock each day and individuals were restricted to just two visits per day.