Britons raise toast to end of lockdown
LONDON — At the stroke of midnight, almost 100 days of coronavirus-inspired closure ended and Britons celebrated the moment, lined up in the street for a long-awaited pint with friends outdoors, undeterred by freshly fallen snow and frigid temperatures.
Some wore hats and scarves as they raised a glass in pub gardens — despite near blizzards (well for Britain, anyway) in parts of southeast England, while others set their alarms to be the first to enter nonessential stores bright and early on Monday morning.
Videos on social media captured the scene as shoppers flocked to Oxford St., one of the most famous shopping destinations in the world, to visit their favourite stores. Groups of young people rushed to purchase sportswear and sneakers as early as 7:30 a.m., while others headed to the gym to take part in physically distanced fitness classes.
Photos showed diners seated outside eating breakfast under umbrellas as sleet came down around them.
With restrictions slowly easing across Britain, people are now allowed to eat and drink outside in groups of six, go to the zoo, a theme park or host a wedding with 15 people. They can even get a manicure, an eyebrow wax or a haircut.
The Daily Mail branded Monday “Crazy freezdom,” while the U.K. Sun labelled the new rule that people could eat outdoors with friends and family “Alfreezco dining.”
With excitement in the air that life might finally be returning to some sense of normalcy after three national lockdowns and more than 127,000 lives lost to the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Brits to “behave responsibly” as restrictions lift across the four nations.
According to Britain's Beer and Pub Association, an estimated 15 million pints will be consumed in England this week — despite the low temperatures.
“I'm sure it will be a huge relief for those business owners who have been closed for so long and for everyone else it's a chance to get back to doing some of the things we love and have missed,” Johnson said.
On Sunday, the prime minister continued to hail the success of the government's “extraordinary” massvaccination effort, sharing that more than seven million people had been fully vaccinated. Cases are falling in Britain, which was ravaged by the pandemic — with the government frequently criticized for its handling of the health crisis.