UK easies COVID-19 restrictions, people feel liberated

Millions of people in England are poised for their first opportunity in months for hairstyles, casual looking and eatery meals on Monday,

Monday, 12th April 2021

A poster outside a restaurant in the UK the day lockdown was announced

Millions of people in England are poised for their first opportunity in months for hairstyles, casual looking and eatery meals on Monday, as the state becomes the next step on its lockdown-lifting road map. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are holding their own, broadly related, plans. Nationwide restrictions have been in place in England since early January, with similar rules in the other parts of the UK, to suppress a surge in coronavirus infections that swept the country late last year, linked to a more transmissible new variant first identified in southeast England. Also read: Everyone will get “free rapid tests” twice a week in the UK Britain has had Europe’s worst coronavirus outbreak, with more than 127,000 confirmed deaths. But infections, hospitalisations and death have all fallen thanks to the lockdown, and a mass treatment programme that has seen at least one dose given to more than 60% of the adult community. Also read: UK should prepare for “harsh winter flu” warns Dr Hopkins Meanwhile, mainland Europe's swathes discuss cases rocket, with some countries about new measures, while others have now tightened constraints.

Germany

While Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on Saturday announced that 15.2% of the country's population - 12.7 million people - must had at least one dose of a vaccines, it said the situation is still "very, very serious`". The nation logged 17,855 new viruses and 104 deaths, compared to 12,196 cases and 68 deaths the week before. German Chancellor Angela Merkel doubled hair on her support for a short, nationwide "bridge lockdown" to fill the gap until more people get a vaccine.

Romania

Marchers took to the roads Saturday in Bucharest's Romanian capital to protest restrictive measures to fight the range of the virus even as new daily infections and losses rose in the nation. The protest was held on the same day that the country passed the milestone of having 1 million established COVID cases.

Monika Walker

Monika Walker is an experienced journalist specializing in global political developments and international relations. With a keen eye for accuracy and analysis, Monika has been reporting for over a decade, bringing stories to light that matter to readers around the world. She holds a degree in International Journalism and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities through factual reporting.