By Ben Kerrigan-
Brits will be able to spend more time outside from today under the easing of new lockdown rules that permits individuals to spend more time outside, meet a friend at the park and move home.
Estate agents ca also open and viewings can now take place under the new relaxed rules announced last Sunday.
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Employees in England who cannot work from home can now return to their workplaces but are expected to maintain social distancing.
Food production, construction and manufacturing can all resume business after nearly seven weeks of disrupted activities.
The change comes as it has been revealed that the UK economy shrank at the fastest pace since 2008 in the first three months of the year as coronavirus forced the country into lockdown.
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The Office for National Statistics announced that the economy contracted by 2% in the three months to March, after recording no growth in the final quarter of 2019.
Boris Johnson’s speech on Sunday in which he presented his road map at reopening society has been greeted with criticism in other quarters, where the feeling is that he has taken the decision too soon which could open up the risk of further infections.
Others welcome the baby steps as a progression of moving society slowly back to normal
However, the devolved administrations of the UK including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are remaining stringent with the stay at home message.
In Wales individuals cannot meetup with more than two individuals outside of their household under their current lockdown restrictions.
Under the easing rules, outdoor sports can resume, and golf clubs and tennis courts will also reopen to the public. Playgrounds, however, will stay shut.
People can also travel to the countryside, national parks and beaches in England.
However, people have been warned to respect local communities, keep their distance from others and avoid hotspots or busy areas.
The government is still advising people to only use public transport for essential journeys and reiterated that staying overnight at a holiday or second home was not allowed.
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