Families can reunite indoors from Monday as Boris Johnson on Monday confirmed the next relaxation of coronavirus curbs.

Hugging relatives and friends will be allowed, though people are urged to use common sense.

Announcing that step three of the roadmap will be triggered in England, the Prime Minister said: “This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road back to normality and I am confident we will be able to go further.”

But chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said masks may still be needed on public ­transport and it will still be table-service for at least another five weeks for pubs and bars.

While more curbs will be relaxed from Monday, May 17, other restrictions will stay in force for at least another five weeks until June 21 – the earliest date for triggering Step Four of the unlocking “roadmap”.

Here are answers to seven key questions about the remaining restrictions.

Why am I still being told to work from home if I can?

Social distancing is much more difficult on public transport (
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Some workplaces struggle to make their premises Covid-secure.

Many staff would use public transport, where social distancing is much more difficult, to get to their offices.

Repealing the “work from home if you can” advice will inevitably lead to more commuters on buses, trains and trams, creating conditions where the disease likes to spread.

Why can’t we have more than six people or one other household in our homes?

The more people who gather indoors, the more likely it is that someone will have coronavirus and the more favourable the conditions for transmitting the disease.

Depending on the size of your home, six people can fill a living room or lead to it being cramped around a dining table.

There is also evidence that the more people there are from different families, the more likely it is that caution will be left outside.

Why can’t we meet in groups bigger than 30 outside?

Any gathering larger than 30 people becomes a mini-festival (
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Thirty is deemed enough for an exercise class, a ramblers’ group, a local history club or nature reserve members’ club to be able to meet and enjoy themselves without jeopardising safety.

Much bigger than that and a gathering becomes a mini-festival.

Why can’t I order a pint or pie and chips at the bar?

Pubs, restaurants and cafes will only be able to offer table service until at least June 21.

This is a subtle way of regulating numbers and ensuring venues do not become too busy, which would undermine attempts to enforce social distancing.

It stops rowdy punters crowding at the bar, shouting at staff and potentially spreading or contracting the virus.

People sat at tables are far more spaced out than those packing into pubs where it is standing room only.

Why can’t I go clubbing?

Clubbers will be itching to get back on the dancefloor (
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Clubbing is a pastime mainly enjoyed by younger people – most of whom are not vaccinated and therefore more likely to contract, spread and fall ill from coronavirus.

The sheer volume of people and their close proximity to each other would help fuel Covid-19 transmission.

The fact clubbers are usually in drink would also help shed their inhibitions and create a climate for riskier behaviour – potentially helping spread the disease.

Why can’t I go to more foreign countries?

The “traffic light” regime for international travel unveiled next week takes effect from Monday but is separate from the overall roadmap.

Just 12 nations or territories are deemed green for the restart of non-essential overseas trips, with Portugal the only country that is really popular with British holidaymakers.

Experts study a countries’ vaccination and infection rates before deciding on their categorisation.

What you can do from next Monday*

Social contact

  • Six people or two households can mix indoors and groups of up to 30 outdoors
  • Hugs with close family and friends permitted but caution urged
  • Up to 30 people can attend weddings and cap on funerals removed
  • Care home residents can have up to five named visitors and more freedom to go out.

Leisure

  • Pubs, restaurants and cafes can serve people indoors, with social distancing
  • Indoor entertainment, e.g. cinemas, theatres, concert halls, museums to reopen
  • Sports stadiums can welcome back fans, subject to crowd limits.

Travel

  • Hotels, B&Bs and hostels can reopen
  • International travel to “green list” countries can recommence.

Education

  • Face masks no longer necessary for secondary school pupils
  • University students can resume in-person teaching.

* Changes apply to England only

The system exists to prevent importations of coronavirus variants which might jeopardise the success of the UK’s inoculation scheme.

More nations will switch from amber, and perhaps even red, to green as the months march on and cases rates dwindle while vaccination levels rise.

Reviews will be held every three weeks and the list of potential summer destinations for those desperate for a sunshine break is expected to grow.

What about outside England?

In Wales, pubs, restaurants, bars and cafés are open outdoors, and from Monday, May 17 will offer indoor service for tables of up to four people from up to four different households.

Pubs, restaurants, bars and cafés in Scotland can open outdoors until 10pm and are permitted to serve alcohol.

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Indoors, no alcohol can be served and venues must close at 8pm.

Up to four people from two different households can meet.

From next week, the number will rise to eight people from eight households outdoors, and six from three different households indoors.