Virus restrictions will be eased in England, Scotland and Wales on Monday, with Northern Ireland hoping to follow a week later.
Life is getting closer to normal for the British, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson still wants to warn about the Indian virus variant.
”I don’t think we need to postpone our roadmap, but this new variant could represent a serious disruption to development,” he said on Friday.
If all goes according to plan, the quality of life for the British will now increase significantly, although in slightly different ways depending on which part of the country you live in.
In England, gatherings of up to 30 people outdoors will be allowed. Six people or two households can be seen indoors and spend the night, the BBC exemplifies.
Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes are allowed to start serving indoors. And the lockdown is over for museums, theatres, cinemas as well as hotels, guesthouses, hostels and bed & breakfasts.
For international travelers, the quarantine requirement upon return home will disappear, provided that you come from a green-listed country. This initially covers very few countries, in Europe, for example Iceland and Portugal.
People in England are still being advised to be careful about hugging.
June 21st is the time for the next step in easing restrictions. By then – unless the spread of infection has picked up – all restrictions on social contact should be a thing of the past. And the nightclubs, those that survived the Covid era, can open their doors again.
Scotland will move to level two of its restrictions on May 17, with the exception of Glasgow and the Moray region, which remain at level three.
The Scottish relaxations mean, among other things, that up to six people from a maximum of three households are allowed to meet indoors in private homes or in public places such as a bar, according to the BBC.
Outdoors, there can be eight people from as many households.
Pubs are allowed to serve alcohol indoors until 10:30 p.m. Entertainment establishments such as cinemas, theaters and bingo halls will reopen.
International travel regulations follow the English ones.
The Scottish islands, except Skye, will enjoy level one from Monday, which increases the degree of relaxation. For example, up to 100 people will be allowed to attend weddings, funerals and similar events.
Residents of Wales can also look forward to being seen indoors again in pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes.
However, groups are limited to six people from six households (children under eleven years old are not counted). The same rule applies outdoors.
All holiday resorts can open fully and the travel rules align with those of England and Scotland, although the advice remains for non-essential travel.
In private homes, only people from two households are still allowed to meet, but if the positive development continues, relief awaits.
Other examples from Wales are reopened entertainment venues, museums, galleries and more.
In Northern Ireland, new rules will have to wait until May 24. The relaxations are expected to be about the same as in other parts of the country.
Source: TT
