Ali, a barber, cleans inside the barber shop he works at called the Grooming Lounge in London, Thursday, April 8, 2021, as they prepare for reopening as England is due to emerge from its third coronavirus lockdown on Monday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:22 PM PT – Sunday, April 11, 2021
England will begin partially reopening businesses following months of coronavirus lockdowns.
Starting Monday, non-essential retail stores can welcome back customers and outdoor service can resume at bars, salons and gyms.
However, reports estimated only about 40 percent of England’s pubs will have space for outdoor seating.
Many businesses have started cleaning procedures to prepare for a busy reopening.
Harriet Henry, manager of The Tea Room in Knutsford, England, posed with the Open sign outside her cafe, as she prepares to open, Sunday April 11, 2021. Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting roadmap. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)
“Yeah, I mean, even with social distancing out here, we are blessed with quite a large space, but we are still only able to operate at a fifth of our capacity,” sales manager Matt Luty said. “Elsewhere on the high street there are pubs that aren’t blessed with any outdoor areas. So, you know, it’s sad to see that those places can’t open just yet. And, you know, it’s a need that we can return to full trade as soon as possible.”
Business owners said they are expecting large numbers of customers. Some businesses are opting for a reservation system in order to avoid lines.
