UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the easing of some coronavirus restrictions in the UK, but warned the British public not to be complacent. /Hollie Adams/Pool via Reuters
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has welcomed the lifting of some coronavirus restrictions in the UK, but cautioned the British public over potential complacency, saying that "defenses against another wave" could not necessarily be relied on.
Johnson's warning comes as England begins to crawl out of its third lockdown, with the UK government opting for a new springtime slogan: "Hands, face, space and fresh air."
The message is aimed at emphasizing the importance of ventilation in reducing the spread of COVID-19 as the UK's weather progressively improves – alongside the chances for socializing.
From today, two households or groups of up to six people can now meet outside in England as the country's stay-at-home order comes to an end.
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A man lies in London's Primrose Hill, following the easing of lockdown restrictions in England. /Henry Nicholls/Reuters
In Wales, the "stay local" rule has already been lifted and up to six people can meet and stay in self-contained accommodation, while the stay-at-home laws in Northern Ireland and Scotland will end respectively on Thursday and Friday.
For the largest concentrated populations in England, the easing of restrictions is a welcome change, with outdoor sport facilities such as tennis and basketball courts to be open again and golfers allowed to walk the fairways once more.
Swimming in outdoor pools will be allowed, but there are only about a hundred of them and the vast majority are in the southern England. Wild swimming in rivers and the sea has never stopped.
People play football in Stoke-on-Trent as restrictions on outdoor sports are lifted. /Molly Darlington/Reuters
Tennis clubs will be another favorite and many will reopen for their members and private coaching sessions.
While he welcomes the change, chairman of the Twickenham Lawn Tennis Club, Alan Cardy, says its sports facility were luckily insulated from too many financial pitfalls with grants.
"We did take a hit on membership but that was because we chose to reduce people's fees because of the play they'd been missing over the course of the season," Cardy tells CGTN Europe.
"Many clubs, many commercially minded clubs, wouldn't have done that."
The club's annual turnover is $34,000, and its biggest expense every 10 years or so is to resurface the five courts. Most other costs are related to maintenance and the club is run by volunteers for the benefit of its members.
Swimmers take part in an aqua aerobics class in London's Hampton Lido on the first day that outdoor pools reopened in England. /Toby Melville/Reuters
Andrea Costello, the club's lead tennis coach, offers private tuition to children and adults.
"It is absolutely wonderful to see the courts, to be able to get back to work, and also the teaching, you miss that," she says.
"I am so excited to be back here. I have been smiling ever since we've known that on March 29, you can go back... and most of our players feel exactly the same," she added.
Team sports are also allowed, and weddings can be attended by up to six people from March 29.
However, all this easing comes with a government health warning.
Yes, fresh air and exercise are important, but Johnson has reminded those still listening, that coronavirus cases are higher in Europe and different variants threaten the vaccine roll-out in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK could rule out another lockdown if the public obeys government guidance. /Toby Melville/Reuters
"The vaccine roll-out has been very impressive and thanks to everybody who's been involved in it," Johnson told a news conference: "But what we don't know is exactly how strong our fortifications now are, how robust our defenses are against another wave," he warned.
However, he added that the UK could rule out another lockdown if the public obeys government guidance while the vaccine roll-out continued to be effective.
"I am hopeful, I don't see anything in the data right now that would cause us to deviate from the roadmap, but we have got to remain humble in the face of nature and we have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the British public."
More than 30 million people – including the elderly and the most vulnerable – have been immunized with coronavirus vaccines so far.
However, that leaves 37 million waiting for their jabs and tens of thousands of people keenly hoping for foreign holidays in the next few months.
Should that happen, it would be of great concern to the authorities, as more COVID-19 variants could start circulating in the UK.
And the last thing anyone wants, as the spring weather kicks in, is another lockdown.