LONDON | All restrictions on social contact could be scrapped in England as early as June, according to plans laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson in Parliament today.

Subject to four safety tests being met, non-essential retail, public buildings and leisure facilities will be allowed to reopen on the 12th April, which could pave the way for the reopening of museums and socially-distant drive-in airshows, at which the “rule of six” can be enforced. Outdoor sports and performances will then be allowed to resume on the 17th May. Private outdoor gatherings will be limited to 30 people, but up to 10,000 will be able to gather at the largest seated sports venues and 4,000 at all other outdoor events. Social distancing will continue to be enforced.

If all goes to plan, the government hopes to end all legal restrictions on social contact on the 21st June, although social distancing and mask-wearing may continue to be enforced.

Enabling a free flow of airshow spectators and participants across borders, the government are also planning to allow international leisure travel from the 17th May at the earliest. With new varients of coronavirus continuing to emerge around the world, the details of any new travel restrictions are not yet clear, but official documents state that this decision will be made based on the path of the pandemic and vaccination programmes at home and abroad. Last summer, the UK introduced a list of low-risk countries with no quarantine restrictions.

The prime minister’s announcement marks a shift in policy compared to last year, when lockdowns were eased or implemented based on infection rates and the R number. With vaccinations taking place at great pace, the number of infected individuals experiencing severe symptoms is expected to fall, meaning that this time around, decisions will be based on the likelihood of overwhelming health services and the UK’s vaccination programme.

The plan is dependent on infection rates remaining low enough to avoid a surge in hospital admissions, as well as the continued fast pace and effectiveness of the vaccination programme. New varients of coronavirus will also be taken into account. The government says that all its tests are currently being met, allowing the first stage of lockdown easing to begin on the 8th March.

The government will also consider whether those who have been vaccinated could be allowed more social contact than those who have not, although the prime minister stopped short of supporting the plan.

Some restrictions are expected to remain, potentially including border restrictions and social distancing in some settings, as the government predicts that around a third of the population will either choose not to be vaccinated or are ineligible to recieve the jab.

So far, four major 2021 UK airshows have been cancelled due to the coronavirus: the Royal Navy International Air Day, Torbay Airshow, Royal International Air Tattoo and Eastbourne International Airshow. Two others, the Abingdon Air & Country Show and RAF Cosford Airshow, have been postponed from June to September. Other event organisers are continuing to advertise public flying displays as early as April.

The devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as Crown Dependencies such as Jersey, will continue to set their own coronavirus laws.

EASTBOURNE | Airbourne, one of Europe’s largest seafront airshows, will not take place in 2021 in the interest of public safety.

In a statement on the Visit Eastbourne website, organisers said: “The decision to postpone the 2021 event has not been taken lightly, however we know that it is the responsible one to make taking into account the continuing forms of social distancing to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.”

Airbourne is the fourth major UK airshow of the year to be cancelled due to the coronavirus. They said they hope the show will return in 2022. The event, scheduled for the 12th-15th August, usually attracts over 250,000 visitors to Eastbourne. It is organised by Eastbourne Borough Council.

Recent editions of the show have included performers such as the Red Arrows, Breitling Jet Team, The Blades, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Typhoon, RAF Chinook, Belgian Air Force F-16, Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron and more.

TORBAY | This June’s English Riviera Airshow in Torbay has been cancelled by local councillors, according to a report by Devon Live.

The local news website said that councillors made the decision to cancel the show at an informal meeting on Tuesday 9th February, despite previous hopes that the airshow – which attracts 165,000 visitors and is worth an estimated £7 million to the local economy each year – could be a key part of the town’s post-coronavirus recovery.

In a statement via the airshow website, councillors said it was a difficult decision to cancel the event, and that they planned to revive it in 2022. “We were always hopeful that we would be able to host an airshow in 2021, but with cases of COVID-19 still high and the uncertainty around when life will return to some sort of normality the right decision is to postpone the event for a further year,” said Cllr Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture. “The health and safety of residents and visitors is paramount, and it is imperative that we follow all government guidance.”

According to Devon Live, the emergence of new, more contagious strains of coronavirus emerging over the last few months have forced councillors to reconsider. According to Devon Live, some had come to fear that the airshow could be a “superspreader event”. Like most seaside airshows, it would have been virtually impossible to control spectator numbers or enforce social distancing.

Although much of the UK population is expected to be vaccinated against coronavirus by the summer, Devon Live said councillors were forced to make a definitive decision on this year’s airshow or face difficulties in securing aircraft and sponsorship later in the year.

Scheduled for the 5th-6th June, the English Riviera Airshow would have been the first major airshow of the UK’s 2021 season. Two other events scheduled for June have been postponed to September, while one UK airshow in July has already been cancelled.