By Press Association 2021
Sand art on the beach as Blackpool s indoor attractions, hotels and guesthouses, show venues, and indoor hospitality re-open following the further easing of lockdown (Peter Byrne/PA)
Foreign leisure travel resumed while some of the UK’s own tourist magnets reopened on a day marking another giant step on the road map back towards normality.
Airports saw a step up in activity with advice to stay in the UK relaxed as passengers embarked on flights for countries on the green list.
Travel hubs such as Gatwick Airport saw an increase in footfall as foreign leisure travel partially reopened as the shackles of lockdown were cast off by travellers.
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image copyrightDanny Lawson / PA Media
Some people couldn t wait for morning. Here, Rosie Delaney, Isobel Loan and Rebecca Mitchell have their first drink inside a pub for a long while, at 00:11, at the Showtime Bar, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
image copyrightJacob King / PA Media
At the The Oak Inn, in Coventry, West Midlands, customers enjoy a pint, a game of pool and a hug.
image copyrightJacob King / PA Media
These changes come with a note of caution, with the variant identified in India spreading in some areas. We must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns, urging people to be tested regularly.
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Huge lockdown easing today has been marred by fears about the Indian variant triggering a third wave
SAGE scientists have said they won t enjoy new-found freedoms because the virus appears more infectious
Cases are surging in hotspots Bolton, Blackburn, Sefton, Bedford, Nottingham and Leicester
NHS England data show they are all but one (Sefton) behind the England average on jab rollout to adults
There are concerns sudden spikes in cases will be severe for people who have only had one or no doses of jab
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