The United Kingdom will take another big step in easing the lockdown on Monday. Catering establishments in England, Scotland and Wales are also allowed to receive customers indoors, and residents of those regions can again go on holiday abroad.
The British government instituted a lockdown in January and is now gradually phasing it out. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned last week that the new Indian corona variant could complicate plans to lift the latest restrictions in England next month.
The government still dared to continue the plans for this Monday. Not all UK regions have the same rules, but most places allow cinemas, theatres, sports centres and museums to reopen. Northern Ireland will not see whether restrictions can be lifted until later this month.
Millions of Britons can also go on holiday again to twelve destinations on a ‘green list’ by the government. These include Portugal and Israel, among others. Holidaymakers do not have to be quarantined after their return.
For the time being, however, it does not seem to be a storm for providers of foreign holidays. Travel agency Thomas Cook informed the BBC that the demand is still “relatively small”. About 75 percent of bookings involve travel to Portugal.
Prime Minister Johnson called Monday’s easing “another milestone” in dismantling the lockdown. He called on his fellow countrymen to regularly test for the coronavirus and be vaccinated when their turn.