HUG IT OUT
Hugs are BACK ON as Boris Johnson says it’s up to YOU to decide if you want to hug family and friends
HUGS are officially back on from May 17 with Boris Johnson leaving it up to you to decide if you want to embrace your family and friends.
Loved ones will finally be able give each other a cuddle for the first time in months as Covid rates have sunk low enough to proceed to the next stage of lockdown lifting.
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Mr Johnson confirmed today Britain is "on track" for a return to normality and coronavirus restrictions will lift Monday as planned.
It means friends and family can reunite for "close contact" - but the onus is on the public to be sensible, the government has warned.
Official guidance states Brits should be "cautious" as we "learn to live with the virus" as hugging "remains a direct way of transmitting the disease".
But it will "give people the choice on whether to socially distance with close family and friends".
So if you're ready for a squeeze from next week then that is completely within the law.
Those who have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine will be less at risk, with those doubly jabbed the most protected.
Although the government highlights that "while vaccines reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it entirely".
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference tonight, the PM warned Brits: "There is still a risk of transmission even if you've been vaccinated so it's up to all of us to exercise caution and common sense."
He also said the "unvaccinated are at greater risk" so encouraged people to think about whether they are vulnerable, whether they have had the vaccine, and how protected they are before hugging.
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The penultimate phase in Britain's road to freedom will allow indoor mixing and increase the cap on outdoor get-togethers to 30.
"Friendly contact" will also get the go-ahead in the first easing of social distancing measures.
Hotels can reopen, alongside cinemas and theatres, as well as indoor exercise classes.
But people will still have to wear masks and stay 1.5 metres apart when meeting indoors unless they are with close family.
This morning a cautious SAGE scientists warned that embraces should be kept to a minimum, and Brits should avoid face-to-face contact as much as they can to stay safe.
Professor Cath Noakes, who sits on SAGE, has urged caution ahead of the relaxation, warning that too much hugging could "perpetuate" Covid's spread.
She recommended people reserve their cuddles for a small group of family members "who would really value a hug".
The scientist told the BBC: "I think don't hug too frequently, keep it short, try and avoid being face-to-face, so perhaps turn your face away slightly, and even wearing a mask could help."
She added it would worry her "if we were advocating we could hug all of our friends every time we meet them again".
Dr Hilary added: "Professor Noakes, she's part of SAGE, she's saying that actually she's worried. She’s saying that hugs should be selective.
"They should be short, they should be selective... hug your children, hug your grandchildren, not promiscuous hugs we're not talking about here, not hugging everybody, not getting too close for too long.
"Right now it might be a mistake, because we have got these new variants, we've still got 2,000 cases that we know about every day, probably a lot more that we're not testing for, so it is still time to be cautious."
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No Covid deaths were recorded in England in the last 24 hours - for the first time in more than nine months.
The whole of the UK logged just four fatalities today, all of which were in Wales.
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It is the first time England has recorded no coronavirus deaths in a day since July 30 last year, after the first wave of the pandemic.
The Covid alert level dropped from 4 to 3 earlier today, with experts saying the roadmap out of lockdown should be accelerated.
Professor Cath Noakes urges public to be selective about who they hug and to 'keep it short'
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