England is embarking on a major easing of its latest coronavirus lockdown that came into force at the start of the year, with families and friends able to meet up in outdoor spaces and many sports permitted once again.

Under Monday’s easing, groups of up to six, or two households, can socialize in parks and gardens once more, while outdoor sports facilities can reopen after the stark stay-at-home order, which has seen new coronavirus cases fall dramatically over the past three months, ended.

After months of being cooped up at home, many are relishing the prospect of being able to to enjoy their outdoor sport of choice. Organized team sports, such as children’s football clubs, can start up, too.

Coronavirus cases in England saw a huge spike in January as a variant of the virus began spreading throughout the nation. At one point, the United Kingdon's per capita death rate was higher than America's.

In the last two months, cases and deaths have dropped considerably. The UK now has a daily average of 70 deaths, which per capita is about one fifth the current coronavirus death average in the US.