Residents in Nottinghamshire and the rest of England will enjoy even more freedoms today (May 17th) as more Covid restrictions are lifted.
From hugging your family to having dinner around the house, a number of measures have been relaxed as the government’s roadmap progresses out of lockdown.
Several leisure sectors will open their doors to customers for the first time this year, while residents will also be able to walk into other people’s homes for the first time.
This takes place in the third step of the “cautious but irreversible” roadmap, which enables newly discovered freedoms after months of downtime.
Here’s everything you can do today, including all the companies that are finally saying goodbye to customers again.
Social contact and hugging
Starting today, we can all meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people.
This goes hand in hand with the relaxation of indoor restrictions and the relocation of the “rule of six”, which previously only applied to outdoor events, to indoor areas.
Gathering more than 30 people outdoors is still illegal unless in a controlled environment such as live sports.
You can go to friends or family houses indoors, and indoors instead of being confined to their garden.
However, this must not be restricted to more than six people indoors or two households.
And Boris Johnson also confirmed last week that the restrictions will allow the hug to return.
The return of businesses and activities
The government has also confirmed that most companies in “all sectors except the highest risk sectors” will reopen today.
These include bowling alleys, bingo halls, indoor play areas, cinemas, theaters and casinos.
Indoor group sports and exercise courses for adults are also back on the program as they were previously limited to outdoor courses.
All companies that reopened today will have their own individual social distancing measures.
Have a beer or meal inside
Pubs, bars and restaurant owners across the country will be welcoming customers back to their venues today.
After operating the venues outdoors for the past five weeks, this is the first time customers have been allowed to serve food and drinks indoors.
Social distancing rules still apply, and customers are still only allowed to order, drink and eat while they are at their tables.
It means you don’t have to stand in line at the bar or wear a mask as you walk through the venues and enter the toilets.
However, the beer gardens will remain open and customers can meet outside in groups of up to 30 people.
Check with each venue to see the rules on how they enforce outside guidance.
National and international travel
As of today, tourists can also travel across the country and internationally, as the accommodations are opening their doors again.
In the past only accommodations such as lodges and caravan parks could open their doors, now hotels, B & Bs and hostels welcome travelers.
International travel is also back on the agenda, and there are a number of rules for people traveling to and from abroad.
The government previously outlined its traffic light system for international travel and updated its “green list” of places where travel is safe.
Customers must carry out negative Covid tests before and after their departure and return flight and, when traveling to a country with a yellow or red list, quarantine them in a designated hotel on their return.
Click here to see the most recent green list countries.
Participation in sporting events and concerts
Football stadiums in the Premier League and Football League will welcome fans again for the first time this year.
Capacity will be limited and fans will be socially distant to make sure the virus doesn’t spread. Saturday’s FA Cup final is an example of how it works.
Other events such as indoor concerts in arenas can also take place, with a capacity of 1,000 people or half full – whichever is the lower.
For outdoor venues, capacity is limited to 4,000 people or half full, whichever is lower.
The largest outdoor seating, such as soccer stadiums, can accommodate up to 10,000 people, or a quarter of the capacity.
This is because the venues are able to distribute crowds.
Weddings and funerals
The capacity limits for weddings and funerals have also been adjusted from today.
Up to 30 people can now attend weddings, receptions, and guards, as well as funeral services.
This limit also applies to other types of “major life events”, including a bar mitzvah or baptism.