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The UK government has delayed some of the activities and businesses that were due to be allowed to resume on 1 August in England for at least two weeks.
That includes bowling alleys, indoor skating rinks and treatments on the face at beauty salons.
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Can I now have my eyebrows done?
Beauty salons which allow treatments on the face – including eyelashes, eyebrows and threading – were expecting to be able to offering the services from 1 August, in England, but that has also been delayed for at least two weeks.
Nail bars, tanning salons and some beauty salons are already open.
Certain safety measures must be followed, including:
- Using screens to protect staff and customers
- Only accepting pre-booked appointments
- Avoiding skin-to-skin contact
- Customers must not eat or drink anything except water
In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, nail bars and beauty salons have also reopened.
Changes for weddings, casinos and live performances
Many other things that were due to be allowed in England from 1 August have been delayed for at least two weeks including:
- The reopening of casinos
- Indoor performances in front of a live audience
- Wedding receptions of up to 30 people
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Are indoor gyms and swimming pools open?
Indoor pools and gyms reopened in England from 25 July, for the first time since the beginning of lockdown.
Sports halls and leisure centres are also now allowed to open.
Gyms have to follow strict social distancing guidelines, including:
- Capacity limits, controlled by a timed booking system
- Reduced class sizes
- Equipment spaced out and improved ventilation
- Temporary floor markings in dance studios where possible
- Customers encouraged to shower and change at home
Outdoor gyms and pools have been open in England since 4 July because there is less risk of catching coronavirus in the fresh air.
Swim England published guidance for operators on how to reopen indoor pools, including:
- Increasing the supply of outside air to pools
- Implementing a one-way entry and exit system
- Minimising the use of changing rooms
Indoor gyms have reopened in Northern Ireland but pools will not open there before 7 August.
Swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres will be allowed to reopen in Wales from 10 August.
The Scottish government has given an indicative date of 14 September for indoor gyms and swimming pools, but says it is working to try to open them sooner.
Which sports will I be able to watch and play?
Bowling alleys and indoor skating rinks were supposed to be opening in England on 1 August but that has now been delayed until at least 15 August.
Pilot schemes to allow spectators to be admitted to some sport events on a trial basis have also been delayed.
Bowling alleys will be reopening in Wales from 3 August and from 24 August in Scotland.
Can I now get a tattoo?
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Tattoo artists can also now work again in England – following similar safety guidelines to nail bars and beauty salons.
They work in very close contact with their customers, often for a long time. Touching people is known to increase the risk of transmitting the virus.
The Tattoo and Piercing Industry Union submitted a 10-point plan for reopening studios to the government, which included:
- wearing masks, face shields, aprons and gloves
- keeping work stations 2m (6ft) apart
- considering relocating or deferring tattoos or piercings that require face-to-face working
Tattoo studios are also allowed to open in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
What else will now be allowed in England?
Outdoor arts performances in England have already resumed outdoors. Events must:
- Have a socially-distanced audience
- Reduce capacity
- Only accept pre-booked tickets
- Display clear social distance markings and be deep cleaned between performances
Recreational cricket has also now resumed. Grassroots football teams are allowed to resume competitive training and will be allowed to play competitive matches from August, with leagues allowed to resume in September. However:
- Time spent congregating at a venue should be limited
- Sports where a ball is touched by multiple players should have a plan for cleaning it when it goes out of play
- Spectators will be allowed in small numbers following social distancing guidelines
Conferences and other business events can resume from October, subject to pilot events.
What else is still not allowed?
While there are dates for many businesses to reopen in England, it is still not clear when customers will be able to return to:
- Nightclubs
- Soft play areas