Drinking a beer in a pub or watching a football match in the stadium are once again possible in England as a new phase of confusion begins on Monday, despite the fear of the advance of the Indian variant of the coronavirus.
With more than 128,000 dead from the pandemic, the United Kingdom, the hardest hit country in Europe, saw its health situation improve after strict confinement during the northern winter and a massive vaccination campaign.
But the advance of the Indian variant, especially in the north-west of England, threatens to darken the scene.
Given this, Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the British for “prudence”, while considering that there is no reason to reverse the relaxation of the measures that began on Monday with the reopening of the interior of pubs and restaurants. The terraces had reopened in April.
Hotels, cultural centers and stadiums with a maximum capacity of 10,000 spectators also reopen today.
Likewise, meetings at home are authorized, with a limit of attendees, as well as trips abroad, although only some destinations are exempt from a quarantine upon return.
In Scotland, where the local government drew up its own run-out schedule, relief from certain restrictions does not apply in areas where outbreaks persist, such as Glasgow.
Since the start of the vaccination campaign in December, more than 36 million people have received the first dose, and about 20 million are already on the full schedule, about 40% of the adult population. The government hopes to have applied at least the first dose to all adults by the end of July.
