Boris Johnson has revealed which COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted on 17 May in England.

The prime minister said the data continues to show the UK is making good progress against the virus and the country has met the four tests to further ease restrictions.

Ministers look at whether the vaccine rollout is continuing successfully, vaccines are reducing hospital admissions and deaths, infection rates are not risking a surge in hospital admissions and the risks are not fundamentally changed by variants of concern.

From 17 May, these are the new rules:

• People can meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people

• Indoors, groups of six or a larger group of two households can meet

• Hospitality can open indoors – but diners and drinkers must remain seated

• Indoor entertainment can open, including cinemas, museums, and children’s play areas

• Theatres, concert halls, conference centres and sports stadia can reopen – with capacity limits

• Large indoor performances and sporting events with a capacity of 1,000 people will be allowed

• Outdoor large performances and sporting events will have a maximum capacity of 4,000 people or must only be half full, whichever is lower

• Bigger sports stadiums will be allowed 10,000 people or can only be a quarter full, whichever is lower

• Testing will be used to support these openings

• Organised adult sport and exercise classes can resume indoors

• Saunas and steam rooms can open

• Travel restrictions are lifted – but people should only travel to green list countries, or amber if they really have to

• Hotels, hostels and B&Bs can reopen fully

• Staycations can take place in groups of up to six people or two households

• Weddings, receptions, and other life events can take place with up to 30 people – but no guests can dance

• Funerals can take place with the number of people safely allowed at that specific venue

• Thirty people can attend a support group, or parent and child group (children under five years old do not count)

• Care home residents can have up to five named visitors and greater freedoms to make low-risk visits

• Face coverings no longer needed by secondary school and college pupils in classrooms or communal areas

• Twice weekly home testing for pupils remains

• All remaining university students can return to in-person teaching, with twice weekly testing

• People have the choice as to whether to socially distance with close family and friends

• People can hug those close to them but they should remain cautious as this remains a way of transmitting COVID

• Wider social distancing rules remain in place in adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality and business settings.

Wales and Scotland are also set to relax restrictions on 17 May while Northern Ireland is due to do the same from 24 May.

Related posts:

Brain injury charity hopes for ‘cultural change’ from inquiry into sport and dementia link Advice issued on how to keep your car safe as catalytic converter thefts rise by 104% in a year Stonehenge summer solstice live feed pulled as crowds gather against safety advice This year will be ‘difficult’ for international travel ‘whatever happens’ with COVID, PM warns Exhaustion for migrants as they complete final part of their perilous journey across Channel ‘Our beautiful son’: Heartbroken parents’ tribute to teenager killed in e-scooter hit-and-run UK reports 78,610 new COVID cases – highest daily figure since start of pandemic School apologises and offers refund after ‘pathetic’ £3.50 Christmas lunch Queen cancels traditional pre-Christmas lunch with family UK breaks COVID case record for second day in a row – as 88,376 reported ‘It keeps getting harder’: Hospitals dealing with sicker patients due to delayed treatments in pandemic Greater Manchester urging govt to pause parts of Clean Air Zone plan amid claims it ‘penalises people for working’