UK reopens shops and pub terraces after three months closed

Dozens of people waited patiently on the street for the opening of Europe's largest Primark department store in Birmingham at 6.30am this Monday.

In London, some citizens braved a soulless cold to celebrate with a beer, or a glass of

in

the

first terraces licensed to serve alcohol throughout the day.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has asked the British for caution at the beginning of the de-escalation, despite the fact that he himself announced that he would go to a local pub to celebrate "recovered freedom" with a pint.

The official mourning for the death of Philip of Edinburgh has truncated the plans of the prime minister, but not those of hundreds of people who eagerly awaited the reopening of restaurants, bars (only those with outdoor spaces), shops, gyms, hairdressers and nail salons.

Shoppers for the Primark store in Birmingham say they hardly slept last night in order to get up early to beat the queues!

Non-essential shops open today for the first time in more than three months.

This was the scene outside the store at 06:30 this morning 🛍 🛒 pic.twitter.com/oW16o9IxlR

- ITV News Central (@ITVCentral) April 12, 2021

The United Kingdom had been closed tightly since the beginning of January, when the high numbers of infections and deaths triggered the alarm and forced the Government to impose a new lockdown.

The most contagious variant of the virus originating in the country, which has ended up being predominant in other European states such as Spain, worsened the situation.

The distancing measures, much more strict and monitored than during the first wave, and the good rhythm of the vaccination campaign - 48% of the population have already received a first dose, and 11.2% the full treatment - have dramatically improved stats.

The latest daily data, for this Sunday, indicates 1,730 infections and seven deaths.

The weekend figures are usually updated upwards hours later, but they mark a trend of drastic reduction in cases.

In recent weeks, however, the curve has flattened slightly.

In mid-January, the daily number of infections was around 60,000.

The Johnson government has warned that during the month of April the rate of vaccination will decrease significantly.

The problems in the supply of doses, and the need to reserve accumulated medicines for citizens who must already receive the second injection, have slightly disrupted the Executive's plans.

Even so, almost half a million citizens received their first injection this Sunday.

The British public health system already distributes Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines.

The Government considers its commitment to immunize those over 50 and the most vulnerable population by April 15 as practically reached, and will begin to notify those over 40 this week so that they can get vaccinated.

A waitress in a London bar this Monday.HANNAH MCKAY / Reuters

The latest public data places the number of people hospitalized by covid-19 at 2,862.

By mid-January, the figure was over 37,000.

Certain areas of the country, however, continue to register infections much higher than the national average, and some scientists have warned of a possible new wave if containment measures are relaxed too quickly.

North Lincolnshire, Doncaster or Barnsley, in the north of England, still have a cumulative incidence of between 80 and 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the national average is 30 (in the United Kingdom, the incidence that is publicly calculated is in the last seven days, while in Spain it is more common in the last 14).

“Our location and tracking system has not worked properly, and even the positives detected have not obeyed when isolating themselves.

We need a system with the necessary budget, or we run the risk of facing serious problems again very quickly, "said Lawrence Young, a professor at Warwick School of Medicine, to

newspaper

The next phase of the de-escalation will arrive on May 17.

Meetings in private homes may be resumed with a limit of six people, and the hospitality industry will resume its indoor service as long as it respects the rules of distancing.

Cinemas and theaters will regain activity and trips through the interior of the country will be allowed, with stays of more than one day.