United Kingdom relaxes 2-meter social distancing rule to further ease coronavirus lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, that pubs, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers, movie theaters, and religious services in England would be allowed to reopen starting July 4. The relaxed rules allowed millions of people to access these services, provided the venues were secure against the spread of coronavirus.

The government also eased social distancing guidelines. A statement from 10 Downing Street indicated that the two-meter rule would be reduced to one meter plus mitigations to lower transmission risks, though Johnson stated that people should still maintain a two-meter distance where possible. Because close contact between different households remained restricted, most grandparents would still be unable to hug their grandchildren.

While the government described the looser restrictions as a big step on the road back to normality, officials acknowledged that normal life remained a long way off. For this reason, live music and theater performances remained off-limits, and the government had not yet specified how staff and visitors would stay safe in libraries.

Under the new guidelines, pubs and restaurants were restricted to table service only, and hairdressers were required to wear protective screen-like visors. The measures applied only in England, with no limits placed on the distance traveled or the size of the households involved. According to Johnson, formal legislation was being replaced by guidance, meaning those who broke the rules would not face enforcement, as the government was relying on the public to use common sense.