Covid rules: Cap on wedding guests scrapped in England
21 June 2021, 05:28
The legal limit on wedding guests has been removed in England in a slight easing of Covid restrictions.
June 21 had been pencilled in as the earliest date for all legal limits to be removed – dubbed "Freedom Day" by some media outlets.
But the Government has pushed that date back to July 19 in order to vaccinate more people due to concerns about the fast-spreading Delta variant.
Instead, a more minor relaxation will see the 30-person cap on weddings get scrapped from Monday.
Venues will now be asked to limit guests based on the space available to ensure social distancing can be observed.
The Government's bid to remove more restrictions has received a boost, though, because more than a million vaccine bookings were lodged after all adults became eligible for a dose in England.
An average of 21,000 bookings an hour, or six every second, were lodged on Friday and Saturday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "It is superb to see the continued enthusiasm young people are showing for vaccines across the country."
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He added: "It is vital we build on this momentum for second doses so people have the fullest protection possible."
Four in five adults have now had their first vaccination, according to NHS England, with three in five having had both.
Dr Susan Hopkins, Public Health England’s Covid-19 director, said she hoped everyone over 40 could get vaccinated before the full easing of restrictions.
