Two metre social distancing down to 'one metre plus' in England but what about Northern Ireland?

Mr. Johnson made the announcement in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon.

The one metre social distancing rule will become active from Saturday July 4 onward which is also the date pubs, restaurants and cafes will be permitted to reopen to the public.

The situation in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive confirmed an array of lockdown easements on Monday including, starting from today [Tuesday June 23], groups of up to six people from different households can meet-up indoors however overnight stays are not permitted.

The recent relaxation of the lockdown in Northern Ireland was announced by First Minister, Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister, Michelle O'Neill on Monday.

Although not in a position to reduce social distancing down to one metre in Northern Ireland, Mrs. Foster said it was something the Executive will be looking at when it meets again later this week.

Pubs, restaurants and cafes will be permitted to reopen to the public in Northern Ireland from July 3.

Northern Ireland caravan parks, camping sites, self-catering tourist accommodation and holiday homes can re-open on Friday June 26.

'One metre plus'

Prime Minister Johnson urged, where possible, people continue to adhere to the two metre guideline but in the event it is not possible people will be urged to keep a distance of what Mr. Johnson described as "one metre plus".

“Given the significant fall in the prevalence of the virus we can change the two-metre social distancing rule from July 4," said the prime minister.

“Where it is possible to keep two metres apart, people should.

“But where it is not, we will advise people to keep a social distance of one metre-plus, meaning they should remain one metre apart while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission," he added.

Boris Johnson also confirmed hairdressers will also be able to reopen on July 4.

"Almost as eagerly awaited as a pint will be a haircut, particularly by me, and so we will reopen hairdressers with appropriate precautions, including the use of visors.

“We also intend to allow some other close contact services such as nail bars to reopen as soon as we can when we are confident that they can operate in a Covid-secure way.

“From July 4, provided that no more than two households stay together, people will be free to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation including hotels and bed and breakfasts, as well as camp sites, as long as shared facilities are kept clean.”

Nightclubs, soft play areas, indoor gyms, swimming pools and spas must remain closed, as will bowling alleys and water parks.