As lockdown restrictions ease across the UK, people in England are now able to hug their loved ones, after over a year of social distancing. But we may not all be comfortable doing so, with a new poll revealing that just half of people feel comfortable greeting each other in the same way as before the pandemic.
From today, people who do not live in the same household may greet each other with a hug or a handshake.
Ahead of the changes, a poll by Ipsos MORI, which surveyed 1,069 UK adults, found that 50 per cent will feel comfortable hugging each other, while 40 per cent are uncomfortable with the notion.
In a video posted to his Twitter earlier today, Boris Johnson urged members of the public to be “cautious” about hugging their family or friends because it is a “direct way” of transmitting the coronavirus.
“We’re updating the guidance on social distancing among family and friends so you can make your own informed decisions. But please be cautious about the risks to your loved ones,” Mr Johnson said.
“Remember that close contact such as hugging is a direct way of transmitting this disease, so you should think about the risks. Consider whether they have been vaccinated and whether there has been time for the vaccine to take effect,” he added.
Under the eased restrictions, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants can now serve customers indoors. Additionally, groups of up to six or two different households can meet indoors and have overnight visitors.
Results from the same poll found that 63 per cent of those surveyed will feel comfortable staying overnight at the house of a friend or family member.
It found that members of the public feel less confident about travelling abroad, with only 31 per cent of people saying they would feel comfortable going to another country despite international travel being opened up from today.
The research company said it had seen a general shift towards Britons becoming “more optimistic about the prospect of emerging from the pandemic”.
“This latest data continues this trend as people look forward to taking part in more social activities as restrictions ease. But this optimism is tempered with caution – for example not everyone is comfortable greeting friends with hugs and handshakes yet – as people appreciate that we aren’t completely out of the woods yet,” Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI said.
