Boris Johnson will effectively halve England’s contentious two-metre social distancing rule from July 4 and said pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers could reopen from that date.
The prime minister said people should observe “one-metre plus” guidance where the situation dictates, although he encouraged the public to stick to two metres distancing if possible.
Cinemas and galleries would also be able to reopen on July 4, places of worship would be permitted to hold services and wedding ceremony guidance would be extended to allow 30 attendees. Theatres and music halls would still be unable to host live performances, but can open their doors to the public on the same date.