People in England will be able to enjoy a pint or a meal indoors, hug their loved ones and return to cinemas – but not dance at weddings – in a week’s time as Boris Johnson confirmed the latest easing of England’s COVID lockdown.
The prime minister has said the country will proceed to step three of his roadmap for lifting restrictions from Monday, 17 May.
It comes as the UK’s Covid alert level was lowered from four to three, meaning coronavirus is in “general circulation” but that transmission isn’t “high or rising exponentially”.
Saying “remember outdoor is always better than indoor” Johnson added that opening windows for “fresh air” when having people round, still keep to social distances either it be when meeting up with family and friends or at work.
Under the latest easing of lockdown restrictions from next Monday:
• People will have the choice whether to socially distance with close family and friends they are meeting up with. But they are urged to remain cautious about the risks of hugging
• Secondary schools and colleges will no longer require pupils to wear masks in classrooms or communal areas
• All university students will be able to return to in-person teaching
• Pubs, bars and restaurants will be able to serve people indoors, while cinemas, museums and indoor children’s play areas will reopen
• Theatres, concert venues, conference centres and sports stadiums can reopen, albeit with limits on the size of audiences and crowds
• Adult sports can resume indoors and saunas and steam rooms can reopen
• People will be allowed to stay overnight somewhere else in the UK in groups of up to six people, or two households
• People will be able to travel abroad to those countries on the “green list”
• Weddings, receptions and other life events will be allowed to take place with up to 30 people
• The cap on the number of people allowed to attend funerals will be lifted, in line with how many people can be safely accommodated in venues
• Care home residents will be able to have up to five named visitors and allowed greater freedoms to make visits out of their homes