Northern Ireland is the latest UK country to relax coronavirus restrictions to allow people to socialize indoors.
Here you will find an update on the coronavirus measures in the four countries and on the other changes made this week.
– What’s the latest in Northern Ireland?
Restaurants, cafes, bars and other eateries in Northern Ireland will be able to operate indoors from Monday. Six people from unlimited households are only allowed to sit together with table service.
Six people from no more than two households can also meet in private homes and stay overnight.
Members of the public enjoy a drink and meal in Belfast (Mark Marlow / PA)
All tourist accommodation and indoor visitor attractions such as amusement arcades, bingo halls, museums, galleries and cinemas can also be reopened.
The limit on the size of outdoor gatherings, including the number of spectators who can attend sporting events, will be increased to 500.
The “Stay Local” message must be removed and schools can resume extracurricular activities, extracurricular indoor sports, cross-school outdoor sports, and day school attendance.
Non-essential travel is permitted for the rest of the UK and there is a traffic light system for international travel.
– What happened in England?
From May 17th, people in England can meet in groups of up to 30 people outdoors and in groups of six or two households indoors.
Pubs and restaurants can serve customers indoors, although they are limited to table service.
Other leisure facilities such as cinemas, museums, theaters and concert halls have also been allowed to reopen, although there are capacity restrictions for major events.
Up to 30 people are allowed at weddings, and the limit on the number of mourners attending funerals has been removed based on the safe capacity of the venue.
Secondary school students are no longer required to wear face masks in class and communal areas, and students can return to campus for face-to-face lectures.
The restriction on staying in the UK has also been lifted, as people without quarantine can travel to ‘green list’ countries provided they take a test upon arrival.
(PA graphic)
– What’s the latest in Wales?
Wales was put on alert on May 17th with the reopening of the indoor hospitality and entertainment facilities.
With the reopening of the indoor service for pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes as well as entertainment facilities such as cinemas, up to 30 people could take part in organized indoor events and up to 50 people could take part in organized outdoor events.
First Welsh Minister Mark Drakeford (Ben Birchall / PA)
First Minister Mark Drakeford said the country could also resume small food festivals and small live music and arts events if the Indian variant does not have a need to break relaxing restrictions.
Mr Drakeford said while international travel is allowed under a traffic light system, government concerns about the reintroduction of the virus would result in people being discouraged from traveling overseas in 2021.
– What’s going on in Scotland?
Glasgow and Moray remained at level 3 of the five-tier system of coronavirus restrictions, while the rest of the mainland dropped to tier 2 on May 17.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said improvements in Moray in the northeast of the country meant it could join the rest of mainland Scotland in Level 2 on Saturday.
In Level 2 areas, six people from three households can meet indoors, the same number can meet in a hotel, and eight people from eight houses can meet outdoors.
Alcohol can be served indoors in pubs, cafes and restaurants, and cinemas, bingo halls and arcades can be reopened.
Social distancing during meetings indoors or in private gardens is removed so that people can hug their loved ones again.
Nicola Sturgeon has also confirmed that Scotland will switch to a traffic light system for international travel, similar to the one previously announced for England, although she said Scots should “think seriously” about vacationing overseas.