Yesterday Boris Johnson announced the easing of lockdown rules in the coming weeks, and with it he also released six rules to follow to avoid a second wave and lockdown.
The government announced that pubs, restaurants, holiday parks, hotels and places of worship will all be allowed to reopen from July 4th.
It also announced the reopening of caravan parks and campsites, meaning although many Brits may be after an international holiday this year, they will still be able to get a staycation this summer.
The latest announcements are the biggest changes to lockdown restrictions since they were put in place on March 23rd to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Mr Johnson has also said he would ‘not hesitate’ to put the brakes back on and reintroduce full lockdown in the UK if COVID-19 ‘begins to run out of control’.
The Prime Minister said: “The Government has asked a huge amount of all of you, and… the people of this country met that challenge with good humour and common sense.
“Of course the fight is far from over. This is a nasty virus still that wants to take advantage of our carelessness.”
He went onto explain that he would reverse changes at local or national levels as required.
Mr Johnson said ‘if we all continue to stay alert’ we can do our bit to ‘control the virus’. During the press conference, he announced six rules to follow to control coronavirus and help avoid another lockdown.
The rules include:
Keeping the 2-metre distance. He specified that if you can’t keep two metres apart, keep one metre with the other measures in place
Wear face coverings on public transport and indoors in crowded environments – specifically where social distancing isn’t possible
Wash hands regularly
Follow the rules when visiting businesses
Get tested if you develop symptoms
Self-isolate if you are asked to do so by the NHS test and trace
Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific advisor, said that the R number of coronavirus transmissions remains below one across the UK.
He also said that the epidemic is continuing to shrink slowly, between 2% and 4% daily.
Currently, 0.06% of the population of the UK – 33,000 people – have the disease, but the numbers are ‘flattening off’ according to Vallance.
He said: “Don’t be fooled that this means it has gone away. The disease is growing across the world. It is coming down in the UK but it hasn’t gone away.”
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, explained that if the one metre plus rule were not followed, coronavirus cases could start to increase again.
He said: “A lot of the changes are about emphasising things that we can do and it is really critical that individuals and firms take these really seriously.
“Because if we don’t take them seriously then chains of transmission between households will be reestablished.
“To be really clear, it is absolutely critical that every individual, every household and every firm takes these precautions seriously.
“If that does not happen, we will go back to a situation where transmission starts to rise again.”
He added: “It is not risk free. It cannot be risk free. Every time you take a step to open up there is some associated risk with that.
“You need to be prepared where there is local outbreaks to deal with them locally and if they become beyond local then you need to deal with them at regional and national levels which would mean reversal of some of the measures.
“That is the only way you can keep on top of this.”
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham. “We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
Detectives investigating the discovery of a torso in Kersal Dale have found more human remains around Greater Manchester. GMP released a statement on the weekend, revealing they had opened four scenes for extensive searches – one of them at a warehouse in Bury, and three in Salford. Searches took place at Blackleach reservoir, where human remains were found, and a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Officers believe they have now identified the man, who they believe to be a man in his 60s that lived in Salford, and his family have been informed. Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder probe, with officers saying they are thought to have lived with the victim.
Greater Manchester Police / Facebook
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for this investigation, said in a statement at Blackleach reservoir yesterday, Sunday April 28th: “We have continued to make significant progress in our investigation into human remains being found in Kersal earlier this month.
“From day one, our priority has been to identify the man and his family so that we can give them the support and the answers that they need.
“Thanks to meticulous forensic work, we are now confident we have identified the man. Formal identification hasn’t yet taken place, but we believe he is a man in his 60s and lived in Salford.
“Specially-trained family liaison officers have met with his family this afternoon to give them the devastating news, and we will do all that we can to support them at this awful time.
“We believe he is known to the two suspects we have in custody. They have remained in custody for questioning over the weekend, as we work to establish how the victim met this tragic outcome.”
He continued: “We have painstakingly worked to follow up every line of inquiry in this investigation. Over the last couple of days, we have acted on information and had four scenes in place for extensive searches – one of them is at a warehouse in Bury, and three of them are in Salford, including here at Blackleach reservoir.
“Today, we have found some human remains at the reservoir here, and last night a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Forensic tests will continue to establish whose remains these are, but we are very confident that this is also the victim in our investigation.
“We have also been searching a house in Winton where we believe the victim and the two suspects lived. We have found evidence that the victim is likely to have died there – most likely in late March.
“While this is significant progress, we know there is still some way to go to complete this investigation. I also recognise details of this case will have been distressing for the people of Salford and beyond – including the officers that are diligently working on this investigation, and most importantly the man’s heartbroken family.
“Local officers will continue to patrol the affected areas, and we will provide updates when we have more information.”