Britain is planning to reopen zoos, safari parks and drive-in theaters as part of the easing of lockdown measures from the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the move by Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing criticism amid the failure to reopen schools for all primary school students before summer, as had been planned.
Non-essential retail shops, zoos, safari parks and drive-in cinemas are among the public places allowed to open up again within COVID-secure settings from next Monday, the UK government said as it lays out plans for its next phase of lifting the strict lockdown measures in place to control the spread of coronavirus.
Other businesses, including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers, are to remain closed at least until July 4 in the government's phase by phase lifting of restrictions which came into place on March 23.
"This is the latest step in the careful restarting of our economy and will enable high streets up and down the country to spring back to life," said UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma.
"In the new normal, we have all got used to shopping with social distancing. Now is the right time to apply these principles more widely, to more shops, as we continue our cautious re-opening of the economy," the senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister said.
Meanwhile, a scientist whose modeling helped set Britain's coronavirus strategy said Tuesday that the country's death toll could have been cut in half if lockdown had been introduced a week earlier.
