ON Monday, the second stage of the roadmap out of lockdown will come into force as planned, signalling one of the biggest unlockings of society in the plan.

With rates of Covid-19 infections hospitalisations and deaths all continuing to fall week on week, England is able to proceed with the plan to reopen more businesses and see a return to normality edge closer.

Since the roadmap began, at the start of March schools reopened and care home residents could have one regular visitor, while at the end of March outdoor sport and leisure resumed and the rule of six returned, allowing families and friends to see each other again outdoors in parks and private gardens.

Now, on April 12 the second stage of the roadmap out of lockdown will come into force, with more businesses reopening and allowing more normality to come back.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the roadmap is "irreversible" meaning he has said there will be no more lockdowns after the roadmap is complete.

The plan is a cautious unlocking with steps every five weeks to make sure that scientists can keep a close eye on Covid-19 to ensure rates do not go up too much after each step.

Here is what you will be allowed to do again from April 12:

  • Non-essential retail will reopen, meaning clothes, shoes, homeware, furniture and more shops can open their doors again to customers.
  • Personal care premises can reopen, including hairdressers and salons, nail bars, tattoo parlours and more.
  • Public buildings, such as community centres and libraries, will also reopen.
  • Indoor leisure facilities can reopen, such as gyms and fitness clubs, but people can only exercise on their own or in a group with their household.
  • Outdoor attractions can also reopen, including zoos, theme parks and drive-in cinemas.
  • Hospitality venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes can reopen to serve people outdoors. Venues must operate a table service only system, and the rule of six and social distancing must be followed.
  • Self-contained holiday accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor services are not shared with other households, can reopen too.
  • At funerals the number of mourners permitted stays at 30, but at weddings, receptions and other commemorative events the number of guests allowed rises to 15.

If Stage 2 goes well and the number of infections, hospitalisations and deaths remains low, the next step of the roadmap will come into force on May 17.

Stage 3 would include outdoor socialising increased to groups of 30, the rule of six returning indoors, and an update on social distancing guidance will be published.

Indoor hospitality can resume and all businesses except the highest risk can reopen, and indoor entertainment venues, hotels, and indoor adult group sport and exercise classes will reopen. Venues such as sport grounds and theatres will also be able to welcome back limited capacity crowds; 1,000 or half full indoors, 4,000 or half full outdoors, and up to 10m000 or a quarter full in the biggest outdoor venues.

In Stage 4, on June 21, it's planned all rules will be dropped for good.