U.K. eases COVID restrictions despite concern over Indian variant

London — The people of Great Britain were given the go-ahead on Monday to share a hug, drink a pint with dinner indoors, and return to movie theaters and playhouses. But as the U.K. emerges from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, the spread of the so-called Indian variant of COVID-19 in England is causing concern, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned people to embrace the easing of restrictions "with a heavy dose of caution."

England was put under a third nation-wide lockdown in January. The dark, cold winter months were hard for many people as the country hunkered down to get over a deadly wave of infections fueled by holiday gatherings.  But restrictions have been easing this spring as the mass-vaccination drive has ramped up. Nearly 70% of the adult population in the U.K. has had at least a first shot of a coronavirus vaccine. The number of new infections confirmed daily has fallen from almost 70,000 during the winter peak, to an average of around 2,300 over the last week.