After 12 weeks of lockdown, Brits can now enjoy life a little bit more.
From today, people across England will no longer be ordered to "Stay Home". Instead, a stay local recommendation will be put in place, with limited contact between different households being allowed, meaning that families will be able to reunite for the first time since Christmas. Many outdoor activities will also be able to resume as part of the new rules.
Social contact: People can now meet outdoors either in groups of six or as two households as of Mar 29. This includes meeting in private gardens as the Government attempts to make it easier for friends and families to get together over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Those in a support bubble will count as part of the same household. Outdoor parent groups will also be allowed to meet, with a limit of up to 15 parents. Children have not been included in the number restrictions.
Sport: Outdoor sports facilities including golf courses, tennis and basketball courts and swimming pools will be able to open as part of the easing of restrictions. The wider "rule of six" social contact limits apply to outdoor sports. If the sport has been formally organised – for example by a qualified instructor, club, national governing body, company or charity – it is not subject to the gatherings limits. But the Government guidance says it "should be compliant with guidance issued by national governing bodies".
Protests: After anger at the Metropolitan Police's handling of the vigil for murdered Sarah Everard, which saw officers manhandling women on a bandstand at Clapham Common, the Government confirmed that the ban on protests would also be lifted today.
Returning to work: Although the "Stay at Home" order is now lifted, the language has changed to say that "people should continue to work from home where they can".