Cyclists and golfers were out at Midnight and swimmers doing lengths at dawn today as England tentatively stepped out of lockdown and straight into a three-day spring heatwave with temperatures hitting 70F (21C) this afternoon and 76F (24C) tomorrow.
In a video address, Boris Johnson wished the country ‘the very best of luck’ and said he knows ‘how hard it has been to be separated from your teammates and your coaches and the sports that you love’, as England prepares to embark on the next stage of its roadmap to freedom today.
As of today – dubbed ‘Happy Monday’ – up six people, or two full households – are allowed to meet outside, including in back gardens, for the first time in four months. But people are being urged not to hug their friends and family.
The Government’s ‘stay at home’ rule has been replaced with ‘stay local’ while its new mantra is now: ‘Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air’.
Golf, tennis and formally-organised team sports resume today with the ‘exceptional circumstances’-only rule lifted for weddings, meaning anyone can now marry. Cycling groups went out together as the clocks struck midnight while others were in lidos swimming before dawn this morning. Golf courses were also getting busy at 6am, with queues for the range snaking around car parks across the country.
The changes come just in time for the mercury to soar as the week progresses, with the country bracing for a near-record 76F (24C) heat this week.
It marks the first major relaxation of the rules since England’s harsh third lockdown came into force in January. The only other easing of regulations was on March 8 when all pupils and students returned to schools and colleges across England.
With Britain today passing the 30 million-mark for number of vaccines given – and with cases plummeting by a third in just one week – the Government is under increasing pressure to speed up the easing of lockdown rules.
TV doctor Hilary Jones will head the Government’s ‘Let’s Take This Next Step Safely’ campaign which will run across television and radio from tonight. It will encourage people to remember a new ‘Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air’ message and resist the temptation to hug those who are not in the same household or bubble.
Swimmers exercise at Hampton outdoor pool in south west London before dawn to kick off ‘Happy Monday’ as England began to ease its severe lockdown
A golfer uses a neon coloured ball whilst under floodlights at Morley Hayes Golf centre in Ilkeston, Derbyshire at just after midnight
While this morning golfers queued to enter New Malden Golf Course in south-west London at around 6am
Golf, tennis and team sports are also able to resume under the first stage of Boris Johnson’s roadmap to freedom – with the PM (pictured) wishing ‘the very best of luck’ to those heading back to pitches, courts and fields
But non-essential travelers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are still banned from entering Wales until at least April 12. Pictured: Visitors at Barry Island on Saturday
Police officers patrolled the shore on horseback in Barry Island (pictured), weaving between punters on the sand while ensuring social distancing rules were being maintained
Popular seaside resort Barry Island was jam-packed with beach-goers, some seen having picnics on the sand (pictured)
Under Wales’s new rules, six people from two different households can meet up outside for picnics (Barry Island, pictured), compared to four people under the old rules
Welsh locals took advantage of the changes, rushing to popular spots to enjoy the great outdoors. Pictured: Police patrolling in Barry Island
Horses were seen patrolling the beach in Barry Island, Wales, (pictured) as people enjoyed their Saturday on the sea shore
Psychologist Laverne Antrobus said: ‘You may find yourself having to be quite firm if others suggest ‘breaking’ the rules, like to have a hug.
‘Although it has been such a long time since we’ve been able to hug friends and family, we all still need to keep our distance to stop the spread of the virus? Try reminding yourself and those around you that soon you will be able to do these things again.’
She added: ‘Saying ‘no’ has never been more important, so try not to fall victim to peer pressure’.
The PM yesterday shared a video to Twitter looking forward to the return of team sports in England.
He said: ‘I want to wish the very best of luck to all the young people, not so young people, everybody who I hope is going to be heading back to the football pitches, netball courts, hockey fields, BMX tracks, all kinds of other venues this week as we welcome the resumption of organised outdoor team sports.
‘I know how hard it has been to be separated from your teammates and your coaches and the sports that you love.
‘And frankly I am speaking for myself, I love sport – and I’m hopeless at it – but I can only imagine how excited you will be to be getting back out there.’
Ministers have not said when their advice to work from home where possible will be lifted.
As England eagerly awaits a relaxing of the rules, Wales is already one step ahead with its ‘stay local’ requirement dropped on Saturday.
Unrestricted travel within Welsh borders is now permitted, self-contained holiday accommodation spots – including several hotels, cottages and B&Bs – can reopen their doors and groups of six from two different households can meet up outside.
But non-essential travelers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are still banned from entering Wales.
Welsh locals took advantage of eased restrictions by rushing to popular spots to enjoy the great outdoors this weekend.
‘Let’s take the next step safely’: TV doctor Hilary Jones will head up major new campaign to remind the public to stick to the Covid rules as restrictions ease
A major campaign will remind the public to stick to the rules and remain outside when meeting others to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
TV doctor Hilary Jones will head the Government’s ‘Let’s Take This Next Step Safely’ campaign which will run across television and radio from tonight.
It will encourage people to remember a new ‘Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air’ message and resist the temptation to hug those who are not in the same household or bubble.
The campaign will also tell Britons they should have the courage to say ‘No’ if someone tries to tempt them to break the rules. Ministers are concerned that people will see today’s easing of the lockdown as an excuse to meet indoors, even though this is not allowed until May.
TV doctor Hilary Jones (pictured) will head the Government’s ‘Let’s Take This Next Step Safely’ campaign which will run across television and radio from tonight
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘As we see from rising cases in Europe, this virus still poses a very real threat. We have come so far thanks to the vaccine rollout and that progress must be protected.
‘So let’s take this next step safely, When you meet others do so outdoors and keep a safe distance.’
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: ‘Thanks to the efforts of the public, we have reduced the number of cases and deaths but the virus is still in circulation. The evidence is very clear that outdoor spaces are safer than indoors. It is important to remember this as we move into the next phase.’
The Government said about one in three people with coronavirus shows no symptoms so anyone could be spreading it without knowing. Someone who is infected releases particles into the air by breathing, talking or coughing. Research shows the risk of infection is significantly lower in fresh air than indoors.
Dr Jones said: ‘As we are approaching these milestones out of lockdown, we all must be vigilant and follow the new guidelines where we can, especially as we can now see our friends and family.’
Psychologist Laverne Antrobus said: ‘It’s really important to stick to the guidance and only meet outdoors.
‘This may mean being put in situations where you have to say ‘No’ to joining a large group of more than six or perhaps feeling pressured to go indoors with people outside your bubble.’
Seaside resort Barry Island was jam-packed with beach-goers, with some seen having picnics on the sand.
Police officers patrolled the shore on horseback, weaving between punters while ensuring social distancing rules were being maintained.
Meanwhile, defiant locals were seen battling through the sand amid strong winds in Porthcawl – ahead of much-milder weather predicted for this week.
While today saw some Covid restrictions ease in England, Britons who couldn’t wait for Monday threw caution to the wind this weekend, leaving their homes in favour of England’s beaches, parks and markets as temperatures started to climb.
On Saturday, families, joggers and weightlifters flocked to green spaces across the country for 52F (11C) temperatures.
Ahead of the easing of restrictions on ‘Happy Monday’, police chiefs warned the public to stay vigilant and said this week is not the end of curbs on freedom.
Martin Hewitt – chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council – said complacency risked spreading new Covid variants and could lead to fresh rules.
Mr Hewitt warned people not to think: ‘I’m only breaching it a little bit.’
He said: ‘We are starting to see the possibility that we move out of the kind of strong restrictions that we have all been living under and everyone wants that to happen.
‘But there is a staged process that has been clearly laid out by Government that allows us to do that in a way that means they are able to monitor the infection rate and they are able to make sure we are not going too fast and I would urge everybody to pay attention to precisely what the changes are at every stage and not to try to preempt it.
‘Look across the Channel at most of our near European neighbours where new variants are arriving and most have now gone back into strict lockdowns.’
Foreign travel will be banned by law from Monday and those leaving the country without a reasonable excuse will incur a possible £5,000 fine. Holidays in the UK are still banned.
The next set of rules will be eased on April 12. These include pubs and restaurants opening outdoors, travel around the country permitted and the reopening of non-essential shops.
The roadmap will lead to the return of almost all freedoms by June 21, provided cases do not surge.
Some Tory MPs want ministers to move faster to lift restrictions.
Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, said: ‘The question will keep coming up: if we are really following the data, can we have our lives back sooner?’
More than 30 million Britons have now had a Covid vaccine, the latest figures show.
A total of 423,852 people had their first dose on Saturday alone, while a further 233,964 received their second.
This brings the total number of Britons vaccinated to a massive 30,151,287 since the country’s ambitious jab drive began on December 8.
And, in a positive sign for the PM’s roadmap out of lockdown, Sunday’s daily Covid figures have seen a significant week-on-week drop.
A further 3,862 people tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday – down 27.3 per cent on last Sunday.
And the UK’s daily death toll has plunged too, with Sunday’s 19 fatalities marking a drop of 42 per cent compared to that day last week.
Six per cent of the adult population have now been vaccinated, Government figures have revealed, with everyone aged 50 and over eligible to get one of the approved jabs.
Yesterday, NHS England’s national medical director urged the nation not to ‘squander the gains’ made against coronavirus as he warned the virus can still ‘wreak more havoc’ ahead of lockdown restrictions lifting today.
Professor Stephen Powis said Covid-19 still has the capacity to cause damage and ‘ill health on a significant scale’, citing concerns over new variants detected.
The health chief added that the prospects ‘look immeasurably brighter and more positive’ but said that the easing ‘does not mean job done’.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Powis said: ‘We’ve made enormous progress that we need to build on and not squander the gains we’ve made.
‘We need to hold our nerve and drive for the line, so everyone can get back safely and soon to our normal lives.’
Boris Johnson said he is wary of the prospect of rising coronavirus infection rates, but sees ‘absolutely nothing in the data’ to halt the easing of the lockdown.
The Prime Minister acknowledged cases could again spiral as restrictions are relaxed but said the ‘key difference’ this time is that the rise in prevalence should be ‘sufficiently mitigated’ by the successful vaccine rollout.
Scientists have been cautioning that tougher borders might be the trade-off for loosening the lockdown, with households set to be allowed to mix outside from Monday for the first time in months.
However, Heathrow Airport is trying to salvage the situation by pushing a ‘traffic light’ plan for defending against countries where variants are identified. Under the plan putting an ‘amber alert’ on a destination would mean travellers face three days of quarantine and a tailored testing regime.
In interviews this morning, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said international travel is ‘challenging’. Asked about the ‘traffic light’ idea, he told Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday: ‘We’re exploring all these issues as part of the international travel taskforce.
‘We consider all options as part of the travel taskforce.
It comes amid allegations that foreign holidays are unlikely to be back on the cards until August despite plans to lift the domestic lockdown in June.
Britons booking trips abroad have been warned they are being ‘very optimistic’, with signs ministers will keep the legal ban on non-essential travel in place longer to minimise the risk of importing mutant Covid strains.
Even once the restrictions are eased, destinations with higher infection rates are expected to face extra rules such as quarantine.
The grim message comes as Europe faces another wave of the disease, amid its struggling vaccine rollout.
Meanwhile, the UK was planning to offer 3.7 million jabs to Ireland, partly to help ease lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland, according to the Sunday Times.
It would be the first time Britain exported jabs to the EU and the newspaper reported a Cabinet minister saying it would be a ‘poke in the eye’ for Brussels amid a row over supplies.
The arrival of Moderna vaccines to the UK had been expected in spring, but the Mail on Sunday reported that the first 500,000 doses will arrive imminently in a boost for the rollout.
During a discussion at the Conservatives’ virtual spring forum, the Prime Minister said that a ‘third wave’ is being witnessed in parts of Europe and ‘bitter experience’ has taught him that this could hit the UK ‘three weeks later’.
But he added: ‘There’s lots of promising evidence that a lot of people who could be vulnerable are now protected against death and serious disease, that’s my hope, my hunch.’
Mr Johnson remained optimistic that his road map to easing England’s restrictions can continue, saying there is a ‘good chance’ of allowing non-essential retail reopening on April 12, when hairdressers are also earmarked to reopen.
‘In just a few days’ time, I’m finally going to be able to go to the barbers,’ he said in a subsequent speech.’But more important than that, I’m going to be able to go down the street and cautiously, but irreversibly, I’m going to drink a pint of beer in the pub.
‘And as things stand, I can see absolutely nothing in the data to dissuade me from continuing along our road map to freedom, unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love.’
People relax in St. James’s Park on Saturday ahead of lockdown restrictions being eased on Monday, March 29
People on the promenade at Brighton are pictured on Saturday ahead of the expected warm weather spell this week
Professor Stephen Powis issued the warning ahead of groups of up to six, or two households, being able to socialise in parks and gardens once more as outdoor sports facilities reopen
Sports are back, weddings just got (a bit) bigger – and the rule of six returns for gardens: What you can – and can’t – do as England steps out of lockdown on Happy Monday
England will today wake up to the first major relaxation of its lockdown rules since they came into force in January.
As the country reaches the next stage of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown, gatherings of up to six people – or two full households – are now allowed in parks or in back gardens.
Golf, tennis and team sports are also able to resume – with the PM wishing ‘the very best of luck’ to those heading back to pitches, courts and fields.
With Britain today passing the 30 million-mark for number of vaccines given – and with cases plummeting by a third in just one week – the Government is under increasing pressure to speed up the easing of lockdown rules.
But for now, Britons can soak up the sought-after sunshine in the park with friends – or work up a sweat with a kick-about on the pitch – as Mr Johnson urged everyone to ‘remain cautious’ and stick to the rules.
Here, MailOnline answers your most-pressing questions about what the latest lockdown rules mean for you.
Do I have to stay at home?
No. Today marks the end of the Government’s stay-at-home guidance, which stated that Britons can only leave the house for daily exercise, to visit their ‘bubble’ household or for essential journeys – such as to the shops or doctors.
People can now meet outdoors in groups of six – or two full households of any size – in parks or back gardens.
A ‘household’ can include an existing support bubble, if eligible.
The Government is instead urging Britons to ‘stay local’. It is not yet known what distance constitutes ‘local’.
Social distancing rules for people not in the same household are still in place.
Can I have a wedding and a reception?
As of today, the ‘exceptional circumstances’ rule has been lifted for weddings.
Before March 29, Britons were only able to consider booking a wedding or civil partnership in exceptional circumstances.
This may be, for example, if you or your partner is seriously ill and not expected to recover or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery.
This rule no longer applies, meaning weddings – which must be limited to six people – are open to all.
Wedding receptions can go ahead but they must adhere to social distancing rules.
So an outdoor reception of six people from any number of different households – or two full households of any size – is permitted in a park or back garden.
But an indoor reception at home, for example, must be carried out within the household or support bubble.
Will my hairdresser be open?
No. Personal care premises like hairdressers, barbers and nail salons will not reopen until April 12.
Can I meet up with friends indoors?
No. Meetings of up to six people from any number of different households – or two full households of any size – must be outdoors.
Only those within your household or support bubble can meet with you indoors.
As Britain reaches the next stage of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown, gatherings of up to six people – or two full households – are now allowed in parks or in back gardens (file image)
Can I have a picnic in the park?
Yes. As long as the rule of six or two-household limit is followed.
Can I have a barbecue in the garden with my family?
Yes. As long as the rule of six or two-household limit is followed.
Britons can soak up the sought-after sunshine in the park with friends. Pictured: People having picnics on Primrose Hill (file image)
Can I play football in the park?
Yes. As of today, you can take part in formally-organised outdoor sports with any number of people.
Outdoor sports venues and facilities are now able to reopen.
Can my child attend an outdoor playgroup?
Yes. Formally-organised parent and child groups can take place outdoors for up to 15 attendees. Children under five will not be counted in this number.
Childcare and supervised activities are also allowed outdoors for all children.
