Michael Gove confirmed that friendly, intimate contact will be permitted in the next stage of lockdown reopening. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
You’re about to hear the words “friendly, intimate contact” on Grindr a lot after the UK government said it’s hoping to restore just that.
Tory minister Michael Gove told the BBC’s
Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (9 May) that as part of England’s roadmap out of lockdown, government-sanctioned human contact is about to become a reality.
“As we move into stage three [on 17 May] of our roadmap, it will be the case that we will see people capable of meeting indoors,” said Gove, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Hugs to be allowed again in England - but only hug those you really value a hug from , says expert May 10, 2021, 03:46 PM
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Indoor hospitality and entertainment venues are set to reopen, including cinemas and restaurants.
35 million people, or two-thirds of UK adults, have so far been vaccinated against Covid-19.
People in England will be able to hug their grandparents from next week, the UK prime minister is expected to announce on Monday.
The change is expected to allow groups of up to 30 people to meet outdoors, and people from two different households meet indoors.
Professor Catherine Noakes, expert in airborne infections and member of the government s scientific advisory committee, told the BBC: I think don t hug too frequently, keep it short, try and avoid being face to face, so perhaps turn your face away slightly, and even wearing a mask could help,
However, the government has urged caution over hugging, reminding that some people are more vulnerable to severe illness from coronavirus and that while vaccines reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it entirely.
In Wales, people have been able to enjoy a cwtch – Welsh for a cuddle or hug – since May 3 with loved ones in their extended bubble.
Be cautious with your cuddles.
Those in Northern Ireland and Scotland will have to wait a little longer before they can embrace those outside of their household or bubble.
As desperate as we are to throw our arms around our loved ones, experts have struck a note of caution: Covid is a virus that thrives on human contact, and we are being urged to cuddle with care.
Covid-19: Global Cases Fall but the Virus Is Surging in Countries That Lack Vaccines
Last Updated
May 20, 2021, 12:38 p.m. ETMay 20, 2021, 12:38 p.m. ET
The W.H.O. says a coronavirus variant first found in India is a “variant of concern.” The F.D.A. authorizes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds.
Here’s what you need to know:
Buddhist monks were tested at a temple in Bangkok after a monk there died of Covid-19.Credit.Rungroj Yongrit/EPA, via Shutterstock
After a devastating year with wave after wave of coronavirus infections around the world, new cases and deaths are falling in many of the Western nations that were once among the hardest hit. But while the virus recedes in wealthy nations with robust vaccination campaigns, it is pummeling India and threatening to swamp Southeast Asian countries that until now had largely kept the virus at bay.
Covid-19: le Royaume-Uni veut autoriser les hugs en famille, les experts appellent à la prudence bfmtv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bfmtv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.