London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026

All the things you still CAN'T do after May 17 unlocking tomorrow

All the things you still CAN'T do after May 17 unlocking tomorrow

TOMORROW will mark a huge step forward in Boris Johnson's roadmap to freedom, with hugs, hols abroad and pints inside the pub making a very welcome return.

But some things are yet to make a return - including a night out at a club, a break to Spain and a big white wedding.

Brits will make a stride to freedom tomorrow with a further unlocking - but big weddings are still off the table

And while some destinations will be on the green list, many traditional hotspots, including Greece and Spain, won't be


And the wait for some things could go on for weeks to come amid concerns about the alarming spread of the new super-infectious Indian mutation.

Clubs have been closed since the first lockdown because of the difficult in ensure they're Covid-secure.

Night owls and venue owners alike are desperately keeping their fingers crossed for a reopening on June 21.

It's understood that they'll have to adhere to a strict set of rules when they do reopen - including that clubbers wash their hands with sanitiser and take temperature checks.

Face masks may also be required while inside a venue, just like in supermarkets.

Boris Johnson is currently hoping to ditch the one metre-plus social distancing rule on June 21 - a change that would undoubtedly help clubs return.

Meanwhile, 30 guests can attend a wedding from tomorrow - meaning anyone getting hitched will be forced to keep to a strict guest list.

There will also be no return to offices until at least June 21 for many

Clubbing is also still out - more than a year after the first lockdown began

In brighter news, cinemas will make their return

The rules are different for funerals. Rather than having a strict limit, the capacity will be determined by how many people places of worship or funeral homes can safely have inside while mourners are social distancing.

And while travel is back, it'll look very different.

A small number of countries have been added to the UK's 'green list' - meaning quarantine isn't necessary upon a return home.

They include Israel, Singapore, Portugal, the Falkland Islands, Ascension, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Gibraltar, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Brunei.

And New Zealand and Australia are also on the list - but they have their own entry requirements and are unlikely to let in tourists at the moment.

Brits' favourite hol hotspots - including Spain and Greece - aren't on the list.

Instead, those who take a trip there must quarantine for 10 days at home when they return and take a series of tests to prove they don't have Covid.

Elsewhere, propping up the bar isn't yet an option.

Pubs will open their doors to customers who want to sit inside at midnight tonight - in a boost to punters desperate to escape the miserable May weather.

Night owls are desperate to return to the dancefloor

And would-be holidaymakers have been told they can return to just a handful of 'green list' countries


Groups of up to six - or two households of any size - will be allowed inside. Those happy to brave the rain can meet in groups of up to 30 in pub gardens.

But simply standing at the bar whiling away a lazy Saturday afternoon with a paper isn't an option.

All customers must wear masks while moving around, while table service is essential - and anyone heading in for a drink must give their details via the NHS app or by signing in.

A return to offices isn't yet on the cards for anyone who can work from home either.

June 21 will be the earliest date for a return to office working under the roadmap.

However, there are fears that date could be delayed as the Indian variant takes hold in the UK.

The strain is expected to become Britain's most dominant.

This morning, Matt Hancock said the Government won't reveal plans for stage four until June 14.

Sky's Sophy Ridge asked the Health Secretary "how likely" it is that the roadmap to freedom will be disrupted.

"It's the question everyone's asking, and the answer is it's too early to tell," Mr Hancock said.

"We're going to monitor the data - there's new data every day - and then announce a decision on June 14.

There may be delays with the full unlocking on June 21, it's feared


"We'll be as transparent as we can be."

However, Mr Hancock today said he has a "high degree of confidence" that the jab does work against the new variant.

"There is new, very early data out from Oxford University - I'd stress this is from labs and it is not clinical, but it does give us a high degree of confidence that the vaccine does work against it," he told Ms Ridge.

But he warned that if Sage are right about the Indian variant being 50 per cent more transmissible it could lead to issues.

"Epidemiology is all about balance of risks and there are no absolutes," he cautioned.

"If the transmissibility as high as that we will have a problem."

Under current plans, masks in shops and offices are heading for the chop on June 21.

Social distancing will also end.

Masks on trains and buses remain an option but possibly without the fines to enforce the measure.

Everyone aged 35 and over in England will be offered the jab in the coming days in a boost to hopes for the complete end of lockdown.

And it was revealed today 20million Brits have now received both jabs.

In brighter news, 20million Brits have now had their second jab

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
×