Forex Trading For Beginners 2021: Lockdown: Boris Johnson to announce 17 May changes for England

Hugs and indoor gatherings could return from next Monday, as the prime minister is due to confirm the next stage of lockdown easing in England.

Boris Johnson is expected to say the data supports a further relaxation of measures, which would also include indoor hospitality reopening.

Ministers will meet in the morning to agree the next step, due on 17 May.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said No 10 wants to see "friendly contact" between people restored.

Under the next stage of the government's road map for lifting England's lockdown, people will be able to meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors, while six people, or two households, can meet indoors.

People will also be allowed to stay overnight with those not in their household or bubble. Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues such as cinemas and soft play areas will be permitted to reopen indoors.

The rest of the accommodation sector and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes are expected to reopen.

Some foreign holidays are also set to be allowed. On Friday, the government announced that 12 countries would be placed on England's travel green list, meaning anyone returning from those destinations will not need to quarantine from 17 May.

On Sunday, the UK recorded another two deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test and a further 1,770 cases.

The government said the latest data suggested that easing restrictions from 17 May was unlikely to risk a resurgence in infections. It said infection rates were at the lowest level since September 2020 and hospital admissions were continuing to decrease.

"The data reflects what we already knew - we are not going to let this virus beat us," Mr Johnson said.

"The road map remains on track, our successful vaccination programme continues - more than two-thirds of adults in the UK have now had the first vaccine - and we can now look forward to unlocking, cautiously but irreversibly."

More than 35.3 million people have received one Covid vaccine dose and 17.6 million people have had both doses.

On Sunday, Mr Gove hinted on the BBC's Andrew Marr show that closer contact between family and friends could soon be allowed.

"As we move into stage three of our road map it will be the case that we will see people capable of meeting indoors," he said.

"Without prejudice to a broader review of social distancing, it is also the case that friendly contact, intimate contact, between friends and family is something that we want to see restored."

Prof Cath Noakes, a member of the Sage committee that advises the government, said hugs should be selective, short, and avoid face-to-face contact.

The risks of grandparents who are fully vaccinated hugging their grandchildren are likely to be low in most cases, she added.

Speaking in a personal capacity, she said it would worry her "if we were advocating we could hug all of our friends every time we meet them again" as it would "perpetuate an awful lot of additional close contact that could spread the virus".

"The reality is that when you hug someone you are very close to them and we know the virus is in people's breath and you are very close to that breath at that moment."