Lockdown update: All you need to know about new measures

Socially distant meeting outside Image copyright Getty Images

Lockdown measures are being eased further after more than two months of restrictions. But how is everyday life changing?

Can I meet friends and relatives?

In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, households containing one person, or one adult and children under 18, can form a ''support bubble'' with one other household. The second household can contain any number of people.

In England and Northern Ireland, people can already meet outside in groups of up to six people from different households.

In Scotland, people from up to three different households can now meet up outdoors if they maintain social distancing, up to a maximum group size of eight.

In Wales, any number of people from two different households can now meet outdoors.

Groups of up to six people who are not in the same household can meet while socially-distancing outdoors in Northern Ireland, although up to 10 people can now attend outdoor weddings and civil partnerships.

In all four nations, permitted numbers of people includes children, and social distancing - remaining 2m (6ft) apart from others - should be followed unless those people are part of the same household or support bubble. The rules are different for people who are shielding.

Can I exercise more?

The overall advice remains "stay at home" as much as possible. But some non-contact outdoor sport is allowed - although rules vary across the UK.

Individual sports permitted in England, with social distancing, include athletics, golf, horse riding and tennis, where doubles is also allowed with someone from outside your household.

Tennis can also be played in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Golf can be enjoyed everywhere.

Households can also drive any distance in England to destinations such as parks and beaches. But they should not travel to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Why are rules different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Decisions on easing lockdown in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of each national government.

In Scotland, a ban on travelling more than five miles to meet family and friends has been lifted, but it remains in place for leisure and recreation activities.

A five-mile restriction on travel remains in place in Wales, although the government says this will be lifted on 6 July, if conditions allow.

Wales will also decide on 9 July on whether to open up the country to tourists again, from 13 July.

The Scottish government has said that hotels and tourist accommodation may be able to reopen from 15 July if its next review of lockdown restrictions on 9 July also decides that conditions are favourable.

Self-catering holiday accommodation will reopen in Northern Ireland from 26 June, and hotels will follow a week later on 3 July.

If I travel abroad will I have to quarantine when I come back?

Most people entering the UK - including British citizens - now have to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential journeys, and all passengers are advised to remain 2m (6ft) apart wherever possible.

All passengers in England and Scotland have been told they must wear face coverings on public transport, including planes, and some airports have also made it compulsory.

Should I go back to work (and how will I get there)?

People who can work from home in England should continue to do so "for the foreseeable future".

People who must travel to their workplace are encouraged to walk, cycle or drive if possible, to prevent overcrowding on public transport, on which they are likely to face social-distance queuing.

Wearing a face covering on public transport is mandatory in England and Scotland.

Read the government advice in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Workplaces should be made safe for staff, with more cleaning, staggered working shifts and, for office workers, no hot-desking.

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What if I go into other people's homes to work?

If you're a cleaner or plumber, and need to enter someone else's home for your job, you are allowed to return to work.

No work should be carried out in the home of someone shielding or isolating because of Covid-19 symptoms, unless it's a household emergency.

In homes where someone is clinically vulnerable - for example, where a person is aged over 70 - face-to-face contact should be avoided, and strict hygiene rules followed.

What are shielded people being told to do?

People in England and Wales who have been asked to stay home and shield - because they have health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable - can now they can spend some time outdoors again - either with members of their household, or by meeting someone else at a social distance.

People shielding in Scotland have also been told they can now spend time outdoors for exercise, either alone or with people from one other household in groups of no more than eight.

People who are shielding in Northern Ireland can now go outdoors.

What about childminders, nannies and nurseries?

Childminders and nannies in England can return to work - and the government has issued fresh guidance.

In Scotland, childminders are also now able to welcome children back into their homes.

Read the guidance for childcare providers from the Welsh government here - and from the Northern Ireland Executive here.

When will schools and universities return?

Some primary schools in England have reopened for some children - with Wales announcing a return for all ages of pupils at the end of June.

Exact rules vary, but head teachers and local councils have been working out how best to minimise risks for pupils, staff and parents. Strict hygiene and social distancing is being enforced - including smaller class sizes, staggered breaks and frequent hand washing.

However, the government's plan for all primary school years in England to go back to class for the final four weeks of the summer term has now been dropped. Instead, schools will be given "flexibility" over whether or not to admit more pupils.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Scottish schools will reopen at the start of the autumn term on 11 August, using a blended model, with some continued home-learning.

Some Northern Irish pupils preparing for exams and those about to move to post-primary schools will go back in late August, with a phased return for the rest in September.

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Secondary schools and further education colleges in England now have limited face-to-face contact with Year 10 and 12 pupils who have key exams next year, in addition to their "continued remote, home learning".

However, the government has now conceded that England's secondary schools may not fully reopen until September "at the earliest".

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over whether students will be able to go to university in person in September or whether they will be taught partially or completely online.

When can I go High Street shopping again?

All non-essential retailers - from department stores to small independent shops - are now able to open, if they put in place social distancing measures.

And outdoor markets and car showrooms can reopen if they are "Covid-secure".

Garden centres are now open again across the UK.

DIY chains - some of which stayed open throughout the lockdown - have also reopened many of their shops.

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Image caption Pubs are not expected to open before July

What about hairdressers, salons, pubs and cafes?

Zoos, safari parks, and other outdoor attractions are now reopening in England. Places of worship are allowed to reopen for private prayer although not for services or events.

Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, hotels and cinemas will not open before 4 July at the earliest in England.

However, indoor public spaces such as beauty salons, where social distancing may be difficult, could reopen ''significantly later", depending on when the rate of infection goes down.

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