Further lifting of lockdown on way
PEOPLE in England will be able to hug loved ones, dine in restaurants and go on holiday abroad from next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The move to the next stage of the road map out of lockdown on May 17 came as the Covid-19 alert level in the UK was downgraded after a “consistent” fall in cases, hospital admissions and deaths.
The four chief medical officers of the UK have said the threat level should be reduced thanks to the success of the vaccination programme and social distancing restrictions.
Confirmation that England would move to step three on the road map came from Mr Johnson at a Downing Street press conference yesterday after a Cabinet meeting to sign off the change.
The biggest easing of lockdown measures so far is designed to encourage people to take more personal responsibility for managing the risks posed by the virus.
People will be given the choice on whether to remain two metres from family or friends, meaning they can once again hug and shake hands.
But officials suggested people should consider getting tested for coronavirus
before hugging and wear face masks or ensure a room is well ventilated before ditching social distancing measures.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “What the public need to understand is that we are moving away from delivering a specific instruction on this point to advising the public that, because of the success of the vaccine rollout and the public abiding by the rules, we are at the point where everyone can use their own personal judgment.”
From May 17:
• People will be able to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30.
• People will be able to meet indoors in groups of six, or two households.
• Pubs and restaurants will be able to serve customers indoors, although they will be limited to table service.
• Cinemas, museums, theatres and concert halls will be allowed to reopen although there will be capacity limits on large events.
• The “stay in the UK” restriction will lift and people will be able to travel to “green list” countries, such as Portugal, although they are still being advised not to go to destinations on the amber list.
• Up to 30 people will be allowed at weddings, although dancing will still not be allowed, and the cap on the number of mourners attending funerals will be lifted, in line with the safe capacity of the venue.
• Secondary school pupils will no longer be told to wear face masks in class and communal areas.
The easing of restrictions came after senior medics said the threat level should be lowered from “level 4” to “level 3”, meaning that the epidemic is in general circulation but transmission of the virus is no longer deemed to be high or rising exponentially.