‘We welcome the Prime Ministers message on Sunday night, his statement in the House on Monday and further clarifications of the minor changes to how we live and work under the current restrictions. It is worth noting that the rules from Wednesday will be almost identical to the rules be have been dealing with for the whole of this lockdown. We can still only leave the house to travel for work, to buy food or supplies, to attend medical appointments or for our daily exercise. Our daily exercise will be however less prescriptive, less time restrictive and we will be allowed to travel by car to take that exercise. Because of the lifting of the time constraints this will open up solo activities such as angling or playing golf. The only other difference is that garden centres are being allowed to open which is something many people have been calling for since the beginning of this lockdown. There are no other changes. Those that cannot work from home and are not one of the businesses who have been required to close, should go to work if your employer asks you to do so. This has always been the case. More guidance will be given industry by industry, but we have already seen many businesses change their working practices so that they can continue to operate. The Government is just now actively encouraging businesses to think about how they can adapt and continue to go about their business and, more importantly begin to thrive again. Our commitment to small companies remains paramount. Schemes to support businesses have not been withdrawn, and we should also have confidence that where businesses open, that they are doing so with safety in mind. We have learnt social distancing and we will need to implement that learning and prove that we can keep it up going forward. It is only then, with the addition of the NHS Track and Trace App and enhanced testing that we can truly make any real progress, move to the next stage and return to some semblance of normal life. These changes are what many people have been asking for - for the Government to trust and have faith in us to abide by social distancing rules when outside and in public.’ Chris Guyver Chairman North Devon Conservative Association
