Drink a beer on the terrace, go shopping, go back to the hairdresser ... The English are regaining precious freedoms on Monday, with the lifting of many restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic which has receded sharply at home.
The United Kingdom is the country most affected in Europe by the pandemic with more than 127,000 deaths.
After a long confined winter, the joy of returning to the terraces of cafes and restaurants is however tarnished by the death of Prince Philip, 99, on Friday, who plunged the United Kingdom into a period of national mourning until his funeral, next Saturday.
MPs cut their Easter vacation short for an afternoon of tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's husband on Monday.
And Boris Johnson has postponed the pub visit he had planned to celebrate this reopening.
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Covid-19: follow the events of this Monday live
Confined for the third time in early January (with regions like London, the capital, confined from mid-December), the United Kingdom has seen its health situation improve significantly since then.
It now has less than 3,000 cases and less than 50 deaths per day.
Fewer than 3,000 Covid-19 patients are treated in hospitals compared to nearly 40,000 at the peak in January.
Dining room on May 17
This progress, with a vigorous vaccination, now allows a very gradual deconfinement, which takes place according to a different schedule in each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom.
In England, in addition to the reopening of terraces, non-essential businesses such as clothing stores or beauty salons may reopen on Monday.
On the leisure side, the English can return to sports halls, spas, libraries, take a trip to the zoo and go on vacation in England, as long as they stay with members of the same household.
“I'm sure it will be a huge relief for owners of businesses that have been closed for so long.
For everyone else, it's an opportunity to start again doing some of the things we love and missed, ”said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
It's a much-anticipated boost to the economy, hit hard by the pandemic, even though the British Beer and Pub Association estimates that only 40% of pubs in England have enough outdoor space to reopen.
The reopening of indoor catering is only planned during the next phase of deconfinement, on May 17, at the same time as the hotels, performance halls and stadium stands, with limited capacities.
Almost 60% of the population has received a dose of the vaccine
Exactly one year ago, Boris Johnson, infected with Covid-19, left the hospital after spending several days there, including three nights in intensive care.
Since then, the country has redoubled its efforts against this disease with a mass vaccination campaign launched in early December with the serums of AstraZeneca / Oxford and Pfizer / BioNTech to which was added that of Moderna last week.
Nearly 60% of the population has received a first dose, the majority of those under 50, the authorities expect to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.
This goal was maintained despite concerns raised about the possible risks of blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was ultimately reserved for over 30s as a precaution.
Despite the long-awaited reopening of part of the economy, the rules remain strict when it comes to social interactions in England.
It is always forbidden to meet other people who do not belong to your household inside.
Funerals are limited to 30 participants, rules that have forced the royal family to schedule a small funeral away from the public for Prince Philip.
Travel abroad remains banned at least until May 17, as the government fears the importation of vaccine-resistant variants of the virus.
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A traffic light system will frame future trips.
Green destinations will be exempt from quarantine on return (a test before departure and after arrival will however be required), unlike orange (tests and quarantine at home) and red (arrivals limited to residents, costly quarantine at home). hotel and tests).
