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Friday, Aug 22, 2025

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

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