UK eases COVID-19 restrictions in ‘step back to normality’

Britons will be able to hug each other and have a pint indoors at a pub from next Monday in a moment described by Boris Johnson as a ‘very considerable step’.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces the easing of coronavirus restrictions during a press conference inside the Downing Street Briefing Room in central London. Picture: AFP

Britons will be able to hug each other and have a pint indoors at a pub from next Monday in a moment described by prime minister Boris Johnson as a “very considerable step on the road back to normality”.

For the first time in six months, people will once again to able to get closer to others than the two metres social distancing edict and can meet indoors, but only with one other household and up to six people, Mr Johnson announced.

While people will be allowed to hug each other, especially if both are vaccinated, the biggest impact will be on care home residents who will be now able to go outside for visits with family members without having to undergo two weeks isolation afterwards.

Hotels and other accommodations, cinemas, theatres and museums are to reopen. International travel will restart and “green list” countries will not require any quarantine, while schoolchildren will no longer have to wear masks.

Today we have announced the single biggest step on our roadmap and it will allow us to do many of the things we have yearned to do for a long time.

So let's protect these gains by continuing to exercise caution and commonsense.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 10, 2021

Mr Johnson has urged people to be sensible and to remain vigilant.

“Today we have announced the single biggest step on our roadmap and it will allow us to do many of the things we have yearned to do for a long time,” he said.

“So let’s protect these gains by continuing to exercise caution and commonsense.”

The latest easing of lockdown measures that have been in place in most areas of the country since well before Christmas – some as far back as October – has coincided with new data from Public Health England showing the AstraZeneca vaccine has proven 80 per cent effective in preventing deaths.

The undoubted success of the vaccine rollout throughout the country has seen infections plummet to levels of last September, with daily deaths now in single figures. More than two-thirds of the UK’s population has received at least one vaccine dose.

We will be moving to Step 3 of the COVID Roadmap in England on 17 May.

Find out what this means for you: https://t.co/wYsooCbPKPpic.twitter.com/mS98i6sz2k

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 10, 2021

Key government scientists have deemed that the virus is in general circulation and the rates of transmission are no longer rising exponentially or at a high level.

The latest data has put pressure on Mr Johnson to further fast track the reopening of the economy before the next assessment on June 21.

Mr Johnson has said he remained cautious and wanted to wait for the impact of the latest measures to take effect. However, he hinted nearly all counter measures – including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing – may be lifted at that point if cases continued to fall.