Britons Breaching Social Distancing Rules By Meeting Friends And Family This Weekend Will Be Fined Police Have Warned
Britons breaching social distancing rules by meeting friends and family this weekend will be fined, police have warned.
Ahead of the next wave of lockdown loosening on Monday, thousands of sun-seekers are expected to jump the gun and arrange gatherings at parks and beaches as temperatures soar to highs of 82F.
Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that groups of up to six people will be allowed to meet both in public spaces and in private gardens, where they can even have barbecues.
The steady lifting of draconian restrictions kicks in from next week, but last night restless rule-breakers spurred on by the announcement were pictured together in outdoor spots across the country.
Three of the nation's top scientists - all on the government's Sage panel of experts steering the crisis response - have also voiced concerns that lockdown is being lifted 'too early'.
Prof Peter Horby this morning lined up behind Sir Jeremy Farrar and Prof John Edmunds to break ranks and caution measures were being relaxed when the infection rate was still not low enough.
Britons who try to see their families and friends will be fined, police forces have warned, amid fears that the country could see mass rule-breaking ahead of lockdown restrictions being relaxed on Monday.
But on Friday hundreds of revellers were the afternoon sun ahead of a sunny weekend. Pictured: Crowds at historic Exeter quayside
Weekend temperatures are predicted to hit 80 or even 82F (27 to 28C) in southern England, suggesting thousands could pre-empt the change to restrictions set to take effect in two days to gather in parks and beaches across the country.
Pictured: Picnickers on Twickenham Green in West London
The four Home Nations now have significantly different sets of lockdown rules in place.
For example, in England from Monday six people can meet up outdoors but in Scotland from today it is eight people
The easing of lockdown measures comes as the virus' 'R' reproduction rate sits just below one between 0.7 and 0.9, and the Government announced there were 324 new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, following a pattern of decline.
Pictured: https://telegra.ph/Searching-For-a-Hot-Job-in-Retirement-07-06 Bournemouth beach
Pictured: Hordes of young people have fun by the riverside in Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Revellers sit back on a busy green space at Potters Field next to Tower Bridge in London yesterday ahead of a sunny weekend
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news halfRHS" data-version="2" id="mol-1717d2d0-a21d-11ea-bbd8-590a7a7a88a4" website lockdown breakers WILL be fined, police warn