Confusion over government’s proposed ‘one metre plus’ lockdown policy

George Martin
Updated ·2 min read
People walk over two metre social distancing markings at Ridley Road street market in east London, as the government considers relaxing official guidelines on social distancing to a shorter distance of one metre. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, pressed to reduce social distancing from two metres to one metre, has told the Commons: "It's the sort of thing of course we want to lift and we need to do that in a way that is careful and safe.
People walk over two metre social distancing markings at Ridley Road street market in east London. (PA)

The government has been criticised over its plan to reduce social-distancing rules from two metres to one.

Several social media users expressed confusion over the proposed new rules after The Sunday Telegraph reported that the government is poised to announce a "one metre plus" scheme.

The changes, which are reportedly scheduled to take place from 4 July onwards, would allow people to remain a metre away from others if they wear some form of PPE.

TV critic Toby Earle tweeted: “Is the rule ‘One metre plus another metre’?”

Professor Paul Clarke, from the University of East Anglia, said: “'One metre plus', the new rule that will reopen UK to the #COVID19 second wave.”

Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock walks through Downing Street in central London on June 10, 2020. - The number of suspected and confirmed deaths from coronavirus in Britain has passed the grim milestone of 50,000, the government said on Tuesday. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Health secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the two-metre rule would be reviewed next week. (Getty)

Retail Influencer Andrew Busby tweeted: “One metre plus what? This is a nonsense.”

It comes as shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Labour would support the end of the two-metre rule if other safety measures are put in place.

He told The Andrew Marr Show on the BBC: "Yes, under certain circumstances.

"But we also need to see a greater use of face masks, I would've thought.

"As I've said, certain staff, workers who are very public-facing in their day-to-day action, perhaps greater use of face shielding, let's get testing and tracing up and running."

Health secretary Matt Hancock also confirmed on Sunday that the government was planning to make an announcement on the two-metre rule next week.

"I think we are about to see another step in the plan and this week we will announce further details of the measures that we can take to relieve some of the national lockdown measures at the start of July, including on July 4,” Hancock said.

"That review [on the two-metre rule] will come to bear this week and we will be setting out further details this week on the measures in that space.

"We're going to set out those details absolutely this week."

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