UK Edition
Boris Johnson hailed the beginning of the end of Britain's "national hibernation" on Tuesday as he announced the biggest return of freedoms since the lockdown began
The Prime Minister said families and friends will be able to mingle indoors and even go on holiday together from July 4, when pubs and restaurants will also reopen and the two-metre rule will be reduced to one metre.
But Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, warned that many of new social distancing measures will have to remain in place "until this time next year" because a coronavirus vaccine is still a long way off.
Mr Johnson announced that domestic tourism will be up and running again with hotels, guest houses and campsites allowed to open on July 4, along with hairdressers, cinemas and almost every type of tourist attraction.
However gyms, swimming pools, nightclubs, indoor sports facilities and concert venues were among the losers, and still have no date for reopening.
The public were told they must still work from home where possible and use alternatives to public transport wherever possible. There was no update on how all pupils will return to school.
Mr Johnson said: "Today we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end and life is returning to our streets and to our shops, the bustle is starting to come back, and a new but cautious optimism is palpable.
"But I must say it will be all too easy for that frost to return, and that is why we will continue to trust in the common sense and the community spirit of the British people to follow this guidance, to carry us through and to see us to victory over this virus."
The announcement effectively signals the end of lockdown, which will instead be replaced with a set of complicated rules governing everything from how we see our families to how we enjoy a pint.
The Prime Minister said July 4 will be "a great day" and urged people to get out and "enjoy themselves".
He cautioned that there will inevitably be further "local" outbreaks, but said he did not believe there was a risk of a second wave of infections that could overwhelm the NHS.
The Prime Minister said a steady drop in infections meant churches could now open for communal worship, although singing will be banned for now, and weddings with up to 30 guests can take place.
For the first time since lockdown began, two households will be able to meet indoors, either at home, in a pub or restaurant or even on a shared holiday, and stay overnight in each other's homes, although they must avoid physical contact and stay at least one metre apart.
There will be no limit on how many different households can meet up as long as people stick to only two households meeting at a time, meaning families will not have to choose between grandparents.
They will, however, have to wait a little longer before they can hug each other because of the need to retain social distancing.
Mr Johnson said people should stay two metres apart wherever possible but, where they cannot do so, they can be within one metre of each other as long as they can mitigate that with measures such as wearing face coverings or ensuring good ventilation.
The move will enable pubs, restaurants, cinemas and other venues to open on July 4.
Mr Johnson said he "can't wait to go to a pub or a restaurant", although "it may not be compatible with a new diet that I'm on", and added that he would "love to get my hair cut".
He acknowledged that many of the things he is looking forward to, such as going to the theatre and playing village cricket, are still banned, but insisted the Government was "working as fast as we possibly can" and that Tuesday's measures were not "the summit of our ambitions".
Mr Johnson confirmed that pubs and restaurants will be expected to keep a register of their customers so that outbreaks can be swiftly contained, saying: "People should be giving their names to the pubs, to the restaurants, doing things in a way that allows us if something does happen, to track back, to test and trace and stamp out any outbreak."
He said of July 4: "I hope it will be a great day, but obviously people have got to make sure they don't overdo it. And we can't have great, sort of, raving scenes in the beer gardens where the virus could be passed on."
Mr Johnson said coronavirus has "not gone away" and he will not hesitate to "apply the brakes" and reintroduce restrictions if required, even on a national level if needed.
He added: "The Government has asked a huge amount of all of you, and the people in this country met that challenge with good humour and common sense. Of course the fight is far from over. This is a nasty virus still, that wants to take advantage of our carelessness."
Prof Whitty said the virus will remain for "a very long time" because a vaccine is unlikely to be in use before next year.
He added: "I would be surprised and delighted if we weren't in this current situation through the winter, and into next spring. I think then let's regroup and work out where we are.
"I expect there to be significant amount of coronavirus circulating at least into that time. For the short to medium term, until this time next year, certainly, I think we should be planning for this, for what I consider to be a long haul out into 2021."
On Tuesday, the British Medical Association called for face coverings to be worn "as a matter of course" in shops, schools, and even homes when guests are present.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the chairman of the British Medical Association Council, said: "For someone not wearing a face covering, and who has the virus or is a carrier, the risk of transmitting the virus to another person close by is 70 per cent.
"By the carrier wearing a covering, that drops to just five per cent. If a carrier and healthy person both wear masks, the probability of transmitting the virus is just 1.5 per cent.
"It makes absolute sense, therefore, that the wearing of masks will significantly help bring this pandemic further under control and reduce even further the risk of a second spike."
A snap YouGov poll found that 47 per cent of the public thought the changes to lockdown were "about right", with 37 per cent thinking the Prime Minister had gone too far and seven per cent saying he had not gone far enough.
A healthy majority of 73 per cent backed the move to allow households to meet up, with 64 per cent supporting the reopening of pubs, restaurants and other venues.