After months of tight restrictions, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday gave the green light to careful hugging and the serving of pints inside pubs as part of the next step of coronavirus lockdown easing in England.

As the COVID-19 situation improved thanks to the rollout of vaccinations and social restriction steps, Johnson announced that England will move on to the next stage of his four-step strategy to get the country out of lockdown by the summer.

"This unlocking represents a significant move forward on the path to normalcy, and I am sure that we will be able to go much further," Johnson said at a press conference.

"We're announcing the single most important move on our road map, and it will allow us to accomplish many of the goals we've had for a long time."

Step 3 will allow people to gather indoors for the first time in months starting May 17 in groups of up to six people or two full households.

For the first time in months, pubs, cafes, and restaurants will be able to welcome customers indoors, subject to certain restrictions. Other indoor entertainment venues, such as cinemas and sports venues, will be able to reopen.

Johnson said that the government would encourage families and close friends to make their own social interaction decisions, but advised people to exercise caution and maintain social distance in workplaces, shops, and restaurants.

"I can assure you that whoever I hug, I will do so with care and patience," Johnson said, adding that the "1 meter plus" social-distancing rule in businesses could be eliminated in the next stage of easing on June 21.

He tended to rule out speeding up the lifting of restrictions, claiming that the ability to collect and track data had aided the progress of Britain's road map so far.

"We've been able to make the strides that we have by being prudent and vigilant," he said.

According to data from Johns Hopkins, Britain has the fifth-highest COVID-19 death rate in the world, with 127,609 deaths. In the United Kingdom, two-thirds of adults have received the first dose, and one-third have received both doses.

The reopening would only extend to England, with Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales' semi-autonomous governments setting their own laws.

The COVID-19 alarm level was also lowered on Monday by the chief medical officers of those countries, indicating that an outbreak is in general circulation but transmission is no longer elevated or increasing exponentially.

The medical officers said in a statement that social distancing and the rapid vaccine rollout had helped to drastically reduce coronavirus cases and regular deaths.

"However, COVID is still circulating, with people catching and spreading the virus every day," they said, adding that "we all need to remain cautious." "This is already a big global pandemic."