In the midst of the jubilation sparked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson announcing that pubs, restaurants and barbers will be allowed to reopen, it may have been easy to forget that for many businesses in our region, the lockdown is still very much in place.

As we report on page six of today The Mail, gyms, salons, and beauty parlours must remain closed as part of the effort to control the spread of coronavirus.

Business owners which haven't been allowed to reopen are now questioning why places like pubs, in which social distancing can prove difficult, are allowed to reopen but gyms and salons must remain closed.

Skin clinician Melody Forrest, who owns Harmony Rejuvenation, a beauty clinic specialising in skincare in Millom, said: “I don’t understand how pubs are now allowed to reopen when people will be drinking and getting drunk in very close proximity to each other, whereas beauty salons and clinics which have PPE to the max are not allowed to. It doesn't seem fair."

Chris Walsh, the owner of Walshy’s Gym in Dalton, also questioned why pubs and drinking places are allowed to open before gyms which benefit people’s health and wellbeing.

So it's worth remembering that while some businesses will be receiving a much needed economic boost, there are still others that are desperately waiting for the green light, and to welcome you back again.