COVID-19: UK PM Johnson to ease lockdown restrictions, ‘cautious hugging’ to be allowed

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces further easing of coronavirus restrictions as the medical chiefs have agreed to lower the UK’s Covid alert level to three. Johnson is ready to give a formal go-ahead for the latest relaxation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions on May 17. This will include a green light for hugging friends and family. The changes are also expected in Scotland and Wales as well. 

New orders in UK 

According to the reports by BBC, as per the new orders people can meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors, six people or two households can meet indoors, overnight stays allowed with people not in your household, pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues are now allowed to seat customers indoors, the adult indoor group sports and exercise classes can restart, indoor entertainment such as museums, theatres and cinemas can open, performances and large events can restart, with limits on audience numbers, remaining outdoor entertainment, such as outdoor theatres and cinemas can open, hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen. Holidays abroad to green list countries are now allowed. Also, up to 30 people can attend weddings and more than 30 can attend funerals.

The new laws will be unveiled in next week’s Queen’s Speech. As per a Press Release, Johnson said, “The impact of the pandemic on people’s lives has been unique in our history. My Government is still focused on beating this disease, saving lives and livelihoods and rolling out vaccines, but I am also determined that we look forward and get on with fulfilling the promises we have made to the British people. Not only will we address the legacies of the pandemic, we will go further to unite and level up the country, fight crime and create opportunities up and down the country for businesses and families to build brighter futures”.

£29.3 million funding for variant testing labs

Earlier, Johnson said that the government needs to handle the coronavirus ‘double mutant’ variant that first originated in India “very carefully”. His remarks came after the Public Health England (PHE) expressed worry earlier yesterday about the new B.1.617.2 or the "variant of concern” spreading at a faster rate in different parts of the UK. Britain scientists have warned that the new variant that originated in India was more virulent and spreading much quicker than the other mutations of the coronavirus. 

Johnson’s administration had allocated £29.3 million ($40.6 million, 33.8 million euros) in funding to set up more labs for COVID-19 testing and ramping up the manufacturing of the vaccines amid fear of the spread of the new variant. In an emailed statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration reportedly said that it plans to set up the "state of the art" laboratories at the Porton Down military. Scientists will test more than 3,000 blood samples a week to estimate the antibodies generated by the vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 variants to determine their efficacy.

(Image Credits: AP/Pixabay)