June 21st was supposed to be the day that things got back to normal once and for all in England. However, due to concerns from scientists and the government, the new 'freedom' day has been pushed back to 19th July, with a slight possibility that it could be revised to 2 weeks earlier if the data on deaths, hospitalisations and vaccinations is positive.
It's very easy to be frustrated about this delay, but in today's blog I'm going to try and look on the bright side, covering some of the restrictions which have been confirmed to be changing on Monday June 21st.
The main restriction which will change on June 21st in England is the number of people allowed to attend weddings. Up until now on this year's roadmap out of restrictions the number of attendees has been limited to just 30 - and as anyone who's ever tried to plan a wedding knows, nothing strikes fear in the heart like having to try and narrow down an invite list (which in normal times usually come to around 100-150 guests) to just 30.
Whilst many future newlyweds will have breathed a sigh of relief at the news - especially since so many have had to move the date of their weddings multiple times in the last 15 months - unfortunately the rules aren't quite as cut and dry as that.
The UK Government website summarises the changes like so: "The number of attendees at weddings, civil partnerships and receptions will be determined by how many people the venue or space can safely accommodate with social distancing measures in place.
"Some restrictions on ceremonies and receptions remain in place to enable them to take place safely. This includes Step 3 requirements on table service, face coverings, social distancing, and restrictions on dancing and singing."
This of course means that while the limit on guest numbers may be gone, guidelines remain when it comes to other aspects of the wedding, in line with how they are currently drawn up, so face coverings and keeping your distance from others will still be enforced as they are now.
The other major change will be the number of people allowed at certain entertainment events, particularly sporting ones. The male and female finals at Wimbledon will be played in front of a capacity crowd, and the ongoing European Championship's games at Wembley will go ahead with crowds of up to 40,000, including the tournament's semi-finals and final.
So, whilst there’s still some way to go in removing all restrictions, it’s nice to have a bit more freedom in the next month, particularly in these two areas.
Thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog, I hope you found it interesting and helpful. For more blogs on a wide range of interesting subjects, please visit
funeral-notices.co.uk/blog.
