Will have to monitor Indian variant of Covid, says Boris Johnson as UK eases lockdown

Indoor gatherings and hugging will be allowed again, said UK PM Boris Johnson as the country eased its Covid-19 lockdown. Johnson also said that the UK will need to monitor variants of the virus, including the Indian variant.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday laid out the next stage in his Covid-19 pandemic lockdown easing roadmap, with indoor gatherings and hugging to be allowed again within a “cautious and common sense” approach. Addressing a Downing Street press conference, Johnson declared that the tests he had set for the country to move to the next stage of reopening from next Monday have been met as the UK recorded the lowest level of pandemic deaths since July last year.