Lockdown easing: What's changing in Wales and Scotland from today?

ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith and Wales Correspondent Rupert Evelyn report live from pubs in their respective nations


Lockdown restrictions are being eased further in Scotland and Wales from Monday.

People in Wales will be able to go to a pub garden or dine outdoors from Monday. While in Scotland, restaurants can reopen indoors and pubs can reopen outdoors.

Here is a look at how coronavirus restrictions are being eased across all four nations of the UK:

Wales

From Monday April 26, pubs, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality businesses will be allowed to reopen outdoors.

Organised outdoor activities, including weddings, for up to 30 people will also be permitted.

And outdoor visitor attractions can reopen.

Outdoor hospitality is due to return in Wales Credit: Peter Byrne/PA

It comes after other restrictions were eased on Saturday, allowing six people to meet outdoors. Children under 11 and carers from the same household are not included in this limit.

Meeting people not in the same household indoors is still not allowed, except under limited circumstances.

From next Monday (May 3), gyms and leisure centres can reopen, and people can form a bubble with another household.

(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics

Indoor supervised activities for children, indoor organised activities for up to 15 adults (like exercise classes) and the reopening of community centres will also be allowed from May 3, rather than the original date of May 17 - First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed.

Indoor hospitality and tourist accommodation in Wales is expected to reopen on May 17, in line with reopening dates in England. Indoor entertainment venues and attractions will also be able to reopen from that date.


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Scotland

Hospitality businesses will be able to reopen indoors from Monday April 26, but only if they do not serve alcohol.

There are restrictions on opening hours too. Restaurants, pubs and cafes will need to close at 8pm indoors and 10pm outdoors.

People will be able to socialise with others indoors in a public place (e.g restaurant), with the limit being six people from two households.

Non-essential shops, gyms, swimming pools, libraries and museums will also be allowed to reopen from Monday.

Scotland is due to move from Level 4 to Level 3 of the Scottish Government’s five tiers of coronavirus restrictions Credit: Jane Barlow/PA

Driving lessons and tests will be able to resume, and close-contact services such as hairdressers, beauty salons and barbers can reopen.

Funerals and weddings will be able to run with up to 50 people. Alcohol is allowed.

Travel between Scotland, England and Wales will be also be permitted and tourist accommodation can welcome back visitors.



From May 17, pubs and restaurants can serve alcohol indoors until 10.30pm and contact sports and some small-scale events can take place.

Cinemas, theatres, comedy clubs, amusement arcades and bingo halls can reopen, and universities and colleges can return to some face-to-face learning.

Up to four people from two households can socialise in homes, and six people from three households can meet in public places.

(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics

From June 7, up to six people from three households in homes and up to eight people from three households can meet in a public place indoors.

Outdoors, the limit is 12 people from different households.

Indoor hospitality will have its opening hours extended to 11pm. Funfairs and soft play can reopen and more people will be able to attend events.

And from late June, up to eight people from four households in homes and up to 10 people from four households can meet in a public place indoors.

The limits on meeting outdoors changes to 15 people from different households.

And even more people will be able to gather for events.



England

Waiters serve people eating and drinking at outside tables in Soho Credit: PA

The next date in the roadmap out of lockdown for England is May 17. Most social contact rules are expected to be lifted, although gatherings of more than 30 will remain illegal.

Six people or two households may be able to meet indoors. The government has said it will review whether it is safe to increase this.

Indoor hospitality, entertainment venues such as cinemas and soft play areas, the rest of the accommodation sector, and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes will also reopen.

Limited crowds will also be allowed at sporting events.

(PA Graphics) Credit: PA Graphics

Holidays abroad could be allowed for people living in England from May 17. The government confirmed this week that coronavirus passports will be available “as soon as possible”.

All restrictions could be lifted from June 21, with larger events allowed to go ahead and nightclubs finally allowed to reopen.



Northern Ireland

Close contact services such as hairdressers reopened on Friday in Northern Ireland.

Outdoor visitor attractions also reopened, driving lessons and tests resumed, and there was a return to competitive sports for clubs.

Pubs and cafes can serve people outdoors from April 30 and indoors from May 24, when hotels will also be able to fully reopen again.

Hairdressers are able to resume trading with lockdown restrictions beginning to gradually ease in Northern Ireland Credit: Peter Morrison/PA

The May 24 date however is indicative and subject to another Executive review earlier in that month.

From April 30, up to 15 people, including children, from three households can meet up outdoors in a private garden while social distancing.

From that date, people will also be able to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation within a household or bubble.

First Minister Arlene Foster has said the Executive will “keep looking to see if we can move faster” on easing restrictions, but said that would depend on infection rates.