LONDON: England on Thursday lifted coronavirus restrictions imposed to tackle the Omicron version, which no longer requires masks in enclosed spaces and has vaccine passports on hold.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases has declined sharply over the past two weeks, and although still at a high level, it has declined in recent days.
The UK government introduced so-called "Plan B" restrictions on 8 December, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a "tidal wave" from Omicron.
Face masks were required in all enclosed spaces and, controversially, vaccine documentation was also required to enter places such as nightclubs, football fields and large-scale events.
On the streets of London around St Paul's Cathedral, there was general support for the lifting of restrictions, which comes after booster jabs of more than 37 million people.
"I think it's a really good thing," said Elizabeth Hines, 71, who is originally from Ireland but has lived in England for 47 years.
About the posters inside the underground station, she said, "I was coming here in St. Paul's elevator and I was watching all the shows."
"And I thought 'how wonderful, it's like old times'.
"It's like we're coming back to what London was like, and you realize how much you've missed live theater and great shows."
Hines said she had stage-4 melanoma skin cancer, but so far she has "been lucky" and hasn't caught Covid.
"We don't know about tomorrow, we have to live ... for today, trying to enjoy a little bit of life," she said.
Julia, 28, from Spain, said it was time to "live a normal life".
"It's been two years and it's time to take responsibility myself," she said while waiting for the St. Paul's restaurant in which she works.
"In Spain we need to wear masks everywhere, even in the street," she said.
Even if there's no one on the street... you have to wear a mask. At the beach, you have to wear a mask.
"I prefer the UK restrictions because it's going to be very difficult to visit family there. I'm fully vaccinated but I don't want to get vaccinated every nine months."
- 'painful' -
England first lifted the ban on 19 July, the so-called "Independence Day", but then introduced new rules when the Omicron wave hit.
Health Minister Sajid Javid credited the country's booster program for allowing the lifting of restrictions.
"Our vaccines, tests and antivirals ensure that we have some of the strongest defenses in Europe and are allowing us to return cautiously to Plan A, restoring more freedom to this country," he said.
From Thursday, commuters will still be required to wear face masks on London's transport network, but they will no longer be mandatory in secondary school classes.
"It was painful for them, they couldn't hear the teachers, the teachers couldn't hear them," Hines said of the mask rules at the school.
American holidaymaker Ethan Lettson, 24, agreed with London Mayor Sadiq Khan's decision to wear a face covering on trains and buses in the capital.
"I still wear a mask on public transport, I would wear it in very crowded areas like the Underground. It's so tight there, you can get sick at any time," he said.
Unlike Scotland and Wales, which set their own health policy, England kept nightclubs and bars open during the festive period.
But businesses still suffered heavy losses as punters stayed home.
Hospitality workers in St Paul's business district said the situation was just beginning to improve.
"Last week, business has resumed. Around Christmas it was dead," said 39-year-old bartender Louise Colby.
"People are not so scared anymore, trains are busy coming to work, people are starting to drink more."
Despite the lifting of restrictions, people who test positive for the coronavirus must still self-isolate for at least five days.
Johnson said he also expects those rules to end when they expire on March 24.