With gyms, pubs, and restaurants able to reopen in England, are you returning to your local shops? Or are you sticking with shopping from home?
19/07/2021: Almost all restrictions removed
We’ve reached the final stage of the government’s lockdown lifting roadmap: from today nearly all legal restrictions on social contact will be lifted, though guidance will still remain in place.
Some of the changes from today:
🗓 In England: the ‘rule of six’ for meeting inside and ‘one-metre plus’ requirement for spacing in pubs and restaurants will be dropped. Masks are no longer required by law, but people are still advised to wear them.
🗓 Scotland moves into Level 0, with more restrictions in place on social contact, face coverings still legally mandated, and working from home where possible is still advised.
From today, England will move to the next step of the roadmap.
Everyone should be cautious while managing the risks as cases of #COVID19 remain high.
Find out more:
▶️ https://t.co/jZcQqKISec pic.twitter.com/9hk7kqw9Nf— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) July 19, 2021
Face coverings will still be mandatory in some places, such as on London’s transport network, and other shops and businesses have started to announce their policies.
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How do you feel about the rules being relaxed further? Will you be relaxing your own precautions, or will you continue to observe social distancing and wearing face coverings?
What conditions would make it safe for you to return to the kinds of social contact you enjoyed before the pandemic?
17/05/2021: Further restrictions lifted
Further lockdown rules have lifted in England, Scotland and Wales today with indoor socialising, larger outdoor gatherings and hugging permitted in England and Scotland.
Pubs and restaurants are also now able to open indoors – are you keen to pay them a visit?
From today, more #COVID19 restrictions will be eased in England.
This includes:
▶️ new guidance on meeting friends & family
▶️ indoor gatherings of six people or two households
▶️ outdoor gatherings of up to 30 peopleMore information: https://t.co/C1CJaEiHwI pic.twitter.com/Nv4cD39aNR
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) May 17, 2021
How are you feeling about this new stage of restrictions easing? Do you have concerns over further COVID-19 variants potentially preventing or reversing lockdown restrictions?
Let us know in the comments.
14/04/2021: How do you feel about reopening?
The UK moved one step closer to lifting lockdown restrictions this week:
🗓 Pubs and restaurants have now opened for outdoor table service in England, with Wales and Scotland following on 26 April (subject to data).
🗓 Hairdressers and barbers are open for appointments in England, Scotland, and Wales. Walk-ins are also now permitted in England. They remain closed in Northern Ireland.
🗓 Many non-essential shops, and some public buildings such as libraries and community centres are now able to reopen in England. Restrictions in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will vary, but some shops have been able to reopen or resume click-and-collect services.
While eased somewhat, restrictions and timeframes will vary depending on where you are in the UK.
See what restrictions are in place in your area
Flocking back or staying home?
Reopening has seemed pretty normal in my area, all things considered. It was nice to walk by the local pub and see the caution tape and barricades blocking off the car parks and patios were replaced with people enjoying themselves. Further down my high street, I saw people sitting outside of Costa, and a man visibly excited to finally be getting his hair seen to in a barber.
There were still masks, face coverings, distancing – it seemed pretty sensible from where I was standing at least.
On the other hand, it’s easy see why people would be concerned about social distancing and potential further spread as people cram into smaller outdoor dining areas, or queue for shops:
Forget the pub gardens or hairdressers – JD Sports on Oxford Street is the place to be this morning pic.twitter.com/ljXTs5I2AP
— Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) April 12, 2021
How do you feel about reopening?
Have you been out again following the easing of lockdown restrictions in England and Wales?

What’s it like to shop in-store again? Are you seeing long queues or other restrictions on entry?
Are people still socially distancing and wearing masks, or has the easing of restrictions caused others to behave differently?
What concerns do you have about the easing of restrictions? Do you feel that you’ll retain any of your lockdown shopping habits as restrictions ease?