666 Amid concerns over Covid spread, pupils attend an outdoor class at a primary school in Staffordshire, Britain. REUTERS
London, May 10
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out on next Monday the next phase of lockdown easing, giving the green light to “cautious hugging” and the serving of pints inside pubs after months of strict restrictions.
News about the next easing, to begin on May 17, comes as the country’s chief medical officers lowered the Covid alert level, meaning that an epidemic is in general circulation, but transmission is no longer high or rising exponentially.
The five-level alert system was devised last year to determine the levels of lockdown and social distancing required to keep the rate of infections from the deadly virus under check.
This includes both indoor and outdoor venues and all organisers must continue to be Covid-secure and follow social distancing rules, it said.
While venue capacities will vary, many will allow “significantly” more than 30 people to attend, the MHCLG said.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “The British people have made huge sacrifices throughout the pandemic to protect the NHS and save lives, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the deeply painful restrictions on the numbers attending funerals.
“Losing a loved one has been incredibly hard during the pandemic and I am pleased we are now in a position, thanks to everyone’s continued efforts and the rollout of the vaccine, to remove these limits and allow more friends and family to come together and pay their respects.
The move was welcomed by the National Association of Funeral Directors’ (NAFD) chief executive Jon Levett, who said: “Throughout the pandemic, the government has made sure immediate families
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