Tweet from Water UK, 11 May

Earlier today, PM Boris Johnson mistakenly referred to COVID-19 being in the #water supply.

It’s not, and No. 10 has now issued a correction. Your tap water remains perfectly safe. 

Earlier, Mr Johnson told MPs that people should exercise “good, solid, British common sense” in adapting their lives to the next phase of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, proposals to ease the lockdown (in England at least) from this week may enable more water sector staff to return to work, and perhaps to a gradual increase in non-domestic demand for water.

The Angling Trust could barely contain its excitement at the announcement that recreational fishing can resume in England from Wednesday, May 13^th. 

Excerpt from 10 May statement on the website.

The Prime Minister announced the resumption of ‘unlimited outdoor sports’ from Wednesday providing they are conducted alone or with members of the same household and that social distancing rules are followed at all times. 

A government source confirmed that “outdoor exercise includes angling, golf, water sports and tennis providing social distanced from Wednesday.” 

The decision to include outdoor activities such as angling in the first wave of newly permitted activities followed weeks of intense advocacy and lobbying by the Angling Trust which unified the angling community like never before and saw over 8,000 individual emails sent to MPs and dozens of articles in the regional and national press in support of a safe return for angling.

The Prime Minister is making a full statement to the House of Commons tomorrow and the Angling Trust will be seeking clarification about the reopening of tackle shops and confirmation of any restrictions on how angling should be practised during the next phase.