Starting May 17, groups of up to six people and two households are allowed to meet indoors so that people can enter each other’s homes.
Hugging is allowed between close family members and friends, who can choose whether to distance themselves socially or not. However, people are being “urged to remain cautious,” and broader social distancing rules will apply to adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality and business.
Pubs and restaurants can be open indoors from May 17th. At this point the indoor six and two household rule is introduced. It is raised outdoors, which means people can meet in groups of up to 30 in beer gardens or while eating outdoors.
Visiting nursing homes is further simplified as residents can have up to five named visitors and greater freedom to conduct low-risk visits outside of the facilities.
Also from May 17th, university students will be able to teach in person on campus again and replace the online lectures that have existed for months. They should be tested twice a week upon return.
Funerals are no longer limited to 30 mourners. Instead, the capacity would depend on how many people could be housed in places like places of worship or funeral homes while maintaining social distance.
The 30 person limit remains for weddings and other important events, including bar mitzvahs and baptisms.
Up to 30 people can take part in a self-help group or a group of parents and children. The limit does not apply to children under the age of five.
Hotels and B & Bs can also be opened in step three, as can indoor sports and fitness classes. Entertainment venues such as cinemas and theaters can also be opened. New rules will be introduced for different event sizes.
Normal outdoor events can be opened for up to 4,000 people or 50 percent of the event capacity, whichever is smaller. Normal indoor events can also be opened for up to 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is lower.
There is a special limit for large outdoor seating. Up to 10,000 participants or 25 percent capacity are permitted, whichever is lower. For example, Wembley Stadium can be opened with 10,000 fans in attendance.
The foreign vacation ban is expected to end on May 17, as the first step to revive international travel. As of this date, it will no longer be illegal to go abroad, which means that overseas summer holidays will be allowed with a traffic light system for countries to be introduced.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has already announced the list of 12 countries or areas that will be on the “green” list, meaning people can travel to countries like Portugal and Israel without being quarantined on their return.