Covid: list of essential shops staying open during the second lockdown

The Prime Minister announced that pubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops will close for at least a month from Thursday onwards.

Hundreds of thousands of businesses will be obliged to close from Thursday as England goes into a second national lockdown. On Saturday, the Prime Minister announced that pubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops will close for at least a month from Thursday onwards as he warned that the “peak of mortality” could be worse than in April. Boris Johnson also declared that schools and universities will remain open and that the furlough scheme would be extended a further month.

Covid: list of essential shops staying open

The lockdown will come into effect from 00:01 on Thursday and last until December 2 although both Michael Gove and Matt Hancock have refused to rule out a further extension.

Even though the government has not classed which stores will be deemed non-essential yet, it is expected to replicate March’s lockdown model. Therefore, the following shops are likely to stay open:

• Petrol stations
• Vets
• Newsagents
• Pet shops
• Supermarkets
• Pharmacies
• Takeaways and food deliveries
• Health shops
• Medical services ie dentists
• Hardware stores
• Garden centres
• Retail shops in hospitals
• Petrol stations
• Bicycle shops
• Laundrettes and dry cleaners
• Undertakers
• Banks, building societies
• Short-term loan providers, credit unions and ATM machines
• Storage and distribution centres
• Post Offices
• Car rental services and car parks near vital services such as supermarkets
• Public toilets
• Food banks and shelters
• Car garages and repair shops

On the other hand, the businesses expected to close are as follows:

• Gyms
• Restaurants
• Pubs
• Bars
• Non-essential shops, including electronics and clothing stores
• Hairdressers
• Nail salons
• Spas and beauty bars

The latest lockdown restrictions currently are:

• Pubs and restaurants will close (except for takeaways and deliveries)
• Nurseries and schools will remain open
• Non-essential international travel will be banned – except for work
• Overnight stays and UK staycations banned
• All non-essential retail will close, but supermarkets will stay open
• There will be a nationwide ban on people mixing indoors – except for childcare and those in social bubbles
• No limit on exercise, although gyms will be ordered to close
• Parliament and courts will stay open
• Building projects will continue where possible
• People will be asked to work from home where possible
• Meeting in private gardens will be banned
• Anyone caught breaking the rules will be liable for a £30 fine, rising to up to £1,000 for repeat offences.
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• Click-and-collect shopping will remain open
• Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be “especially careful” but people are not being asked to resume shielding

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