Outdoor sports and reunions with friends: England loosens lockdown | Scientist

After months locked up at home, the English are enjoying being able to meet friends and take up outdoor sports again. Football schools for children, for example, would also be able to operate again.

Similar measures are being taken in other parts of the UK. In Wales, thousands of people took to beaches and mountains on Saturday after authorities lifted restrictions.

Despite the new phase of flexibility, Prime Minister United kingdomAnd the Boris JohnsonAt a press conference scheduled for Monday, the British will be asked to exercise caution. Relaxation also accompanies a government advertising campaign that shows it still dangerous to organize meetings indoors.

In a statement released Sunday evening, Johnson said the British should remain “vigilant” due to the covid-19 variants spreading across Europe.

With the lockdown and vaccination campaign against covid-19, the UK has managed to drastically reduce the number of cases and deaths. On Sunday, there were 3,862 new cases of the disease, the lowest number in six months.

However, the dilution is done gradually, so that the country does not need to be confined again. Most of the non-essential trade remains closed, as are bars, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, theaters, museums, and stadiums. The government also continues to require people to work from home and has imposed restrictions on travel abroad.