Government considering three month ‘halfway house’ lockdown after Easter

Pubs and restaurants could reopen while other businesses remain closed

Britain could be set for what is being described as a 'halfway house' lockdown after Easter, with the government considering a three-month period during which guidelines will be similar to those during the summer. According to the Telegraph, officials are considering reopening large parts of the economy, particularly pubs and restaurants, with social distancing and the rule of six reimplemented. A full reopening of society is set to be delayed, the report states, until all over-50s in the United Kingdom receive their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Government figures have contradicted themselves regularly over the past week with regards to when people can expect a return to relative normality. The UK has been in lockdown since the 'Kent variant' of the virus was first identified before Christmas. Despite their desire to reopen the economy ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall in June, scientists have advised that the UK remains in lockdown until May at the earliest. Anything other than a slow eased reopening, they say, would likely lead to another, more devastating resurgence of the virus among those not yet vaccinated. Communication from the government remains mixed. On Sunday, it emerged that the government had quietly extended its lockdown powers until mid-July, leading many to believe that it could be mid-summer before relative normality returns. The extension of such powers does not mean we will remain in lockdown until July, but grants the government the power to keep measures in place if required.