The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in England from July 2020 to December 2020. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
Timeline July 2020 1 July – Following the reintroduction of stricter lockdown measures in Leicester, a number of local councils take to social media in an attempt to dispel false rumours that local lockdowns are imminent in their areas. A report by Public Health England concludes that there was no obvious source for the spike in COVID-19 cases in Leicester. 2 July – Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces the UK government's safety plans for getting schools in England fully operational in time for September. The plans include keeping classes and whole years separate in "bubbles", and providing schools with home test kits to provide to families of children who develop symptoms. Mobile testing units will also be deployed to schools in an instance of a COVID-19 case being confirmed. 3 July – The UK government publishes a list of 59 countries for which quarantine will not apply when arriving back in England as from 10 July. They include Greece, France, Belgium and Spain, but Portugal and the United States are among those not on the list. These changes do not apply to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, where quarantine restrictions remain in place for all arrivals from outside the UK. The UK government rushes The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) Regulations 2020 through parliament to give police the powers to enforce lockdown restrictions in Leicester as from 4 July. Public Health England starts including "pillar 1" and "pillar 2" cases for local authorities in England, an adjustment expected to show an apparent rise in cases in many places. On the eve of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions for England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson describes the changes as the "biggest step yet on the road to recovery", and warns the public not to let reopening businesses down by ignoring social distancing rules. He also said that local lockdown measures rather than national restrictions may be imposed to control the virus. Boris Johnson announces that recreational cricket can resume in England from 11 July. 4 July – The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 come into force in England, replacing and relaxing the previous Lockdown Regulations (SI 350), and giving the Secretary of State powers to make declarations restricting access to public outdoor places. Leicester is excluded from the relaxations due to its high rate of COVID-19, with more stringent regulations in force. Re-opening hairdressing salons announce a variety of safety measures, including the need for customers to book online, to wait outside for the appointment, and to wear a face covering. Hairdresser in some salons will wear protective equipment, and alternate workstations will remain unused. Some will cease to offer dry cuts. 5 July – In an interview with the BBC, Sir Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England, says that COVID-19 has shone a "very harsh spotlight" on the "resilience" of the care system, and that adequate plans to fund social care should be in place within a year. The UK government announces new quarantine exemption rules for participants in major sporting events, as well as film and television productions, allowing them to resume. The rules apply to England, where participants will need to work in a controlled environment and be tested for COVID-19. 6 July – As concerns about increasing unemployment grow, the UK government announces a £111m scheme to help firms in England provide an extra 30,000 trainee places; £21m will be provided to fund similar schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 7 July – Three pubs in Yorkshire, Hampshire and Somerset that reopened on 4 July close again after customers tested positive for COVID-19. 8 July – Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge closes its Accident and Emergency Department due to an outbreak of COVID-19, while 70 members of staff at the hospital go into self-isolation. 9 July – Two sets of data are released that show the number of cases of COVID-19 are falling in England; Office for National Statistics figures estimate one in 3,900 people have the virus, down from one in 2,200 the previous week, while Public Health England figures indicate that cases fell by 25% in the week to 5 July. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announces that swimming pools, gyms, grassroots sport, close contact businesses and outdoor theatre can return in England with the following programme: Outdoor pools to reopen from 11 July; grassroots sport to resume from the weekend of 11 July, beginning with cricket; outdoor theatre to resume from 11 July; beauticians, tattooists, spas, tanning salons and other close contact services to reopen from 13 July "subject to some restrictions"; and indoor gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities to reopen from 25 July. In addition, a small pilot of indoor performances with socially distanced audiences will take place to assess the best way to restart them. 10 July – As the wearing of face coverings becomes mandatory in shops in Scotland, the UK Government considers whether to introduce the same rule for shops in England. The Prime Minister is seen in public wearing one. Bosses at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, one of the UK's leading production theatres, warn that the theatre is at risk of losing 47 of its staff members (about 40% of its workforce), and is in danger of closing because of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 11 July – Parts of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 come into effect, allowing outdoor swimming pools and water parks to re-open. Operators of outdoor swimming pools, many of them community groups and charities, criticise the UK government's timing, citing a lack of preparation time that has made a short summer season "unviable". Belgium includes Leicester on its "red zone" list, meaning anyone who has recently visited the city will be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Belgium. 12 July – Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, says he does not believe it should be compulsory to wear face coverings in shops in England, but to do so is "basic good manners". 73 workers at a farm in Herefordshire have tested positive for COVID-19, requiring the rest of the farm's 200 or so workers to self-isolate. 13 July – The remainder of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 comes into effect, allowing the re-opening of nail bars and salons, tanning booths and salons, spas and beauty salons, massage parlours, tattoo parlours, and body and skin piercing services. The Prime Minister says that people "should be wearing" face coverings in shops in England, and the UK government will decide in the next few days whether "tools of enforcement" are required to ensure that they do. 14 July – The UK government announces that the wearing of face coverings will become compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from 24 July. Those who fail to do so will face a fine of up to £100. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the move will "give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops". In a bid to avoid a full Leicester-style lockdown, the unitary authority of Blackburn with Darwen introduces a series of tighter measures that must be observed for the next month following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the area. These include tighter limits on visitors from another household, and a recommendation to bump elbows rather than hugs or shaking hands. A piece by the street artist Banksy appears on a London Underground train, encouraging people to wear face coverings. The artwork, titled If You Don't Mask, You Don't Get, is subsequently removed by cleaners who were unaware of the identity of its creator. 15 July – Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirms there are no plans to make the wearing of face coverings compulsory for office workers in England. 16 July – Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces plans for an emergency loans scheme for universities in England in danger of bankruptcy because of the financial impact of the pandemic. The announcement comes after a report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies identified 13 unnamed universities facing financial difficulties. The Borough of Pendle in Lancashire introduces extra social distancing precautions to help stem a local rise in COVID-19 cases and avoid full lockdown. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that restrictions relating to schools and nurseries in Leicester will be lifted from 24 July after a fall in cases in the city. But bars and restaurants will remain closed, and restrictions on gatherings and visitors will continue. 17 July – The Prime Minister announces a further easing of lockdown restrictions for England, with plans for a "significant return to normality" by Christmas. The new guidelines allow people to use public transport for non-essential journeys with immediate effect, while employers will have more discretion over their work places from 1 August. From 18 July, local authorities will have the power to enforce local shutdowns. Johnson announces an extra £3bn for the NHS in England to help prepare for a possible second wave of COVID-19 over the coming winter. Johnson announces a pilot scheme for a return to spectator sports, with a view to a full return by 1 October. The 2020 World Snooker Championship and the Glorious Goodwood Festival are among the first two sporting events to be part of the pilot. A pilot scheme is also announced for a return to indoor performances with socially distanced audiences at theatres, music and performance venues, with a view to a full return in August. Health Secretary Matt Hancock calls for a review of the way COVID-19 deaths are recorded in England after Public Health England confirms it records deaths as COVID related even if the death occurs several months after someone has tested positive for the virus; the other Home Nations do not record a death as COVID related if it occurs more than 28 days after a positive test. Rochdale introduces extra social distancing precautions to avoid full lockdown following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the area. 18 July – The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 come into force, giving local authorities in England new powers to close shops and outdoor public spaces, and to cancel events in order to control COVID-19. A pub in Manchester becomes one of the first venues to stage a live gig since as lockdown measures continue to be eased. 19 July – Concerns are raised about England's contact-tracing system as it emerges that at least 50% of the people identified as having had close contact with someone in Blackburn who has tested positive for COVID-19 have not been contacted. 20 July – Figures released by Public Health England show that Blackburn with Darwen is overtaking Leicester as England's COVID-19 hotspot, with 79.2 cases per 100,000 in the week up to 17 July. Cases have almost doubled from 63 to 118 in a week. 22 July – The UK government permits visits to care homes to resume in England, but recommends one constant visitor per resident, and gives local authorities and public health directors responsibility for giving the go-ahead to individual homes. Driving tests resume in England. 23 July – On the eve of the introduction of new regulations for the wearing of face coverings in England, the UK Government releases full guidelines on when and where they should be worn. A network of COVID walk-in test centres will be established throughout England, with a view to being fully operational by the end of October.