Coronavirus: Some return to work as lockdown slightly eases in England

Waterloo Station in London at 9am on Wednesday. Some of the Coronavirus lockdown measures are being relaxed in England on Wednesday, with those workers who are unable to work from home, such as those in construction and manufacturing, encouraged to return to work.

Passengers board and alight a bus at Vauxhall Bus Station in London after a partial loosening of the coronavirus lockdown guidelines. People living in England got more freedom on May 13 to leave their homes, including to go to work, the first stage of an easing of the seven-week coronavirus lockdown. The partial lifting of restrictions comes despite concern that Britain has the second-highest death toll from the virus in the world -- and confusion about the new rules.

A passenger uses hand sanitizer while traveling on the London underground. As the British government eased its lockdown restrictions on Wednesday, allowing millions of people in England to return to work, many commuters appeared to be following new guidance asking people not to “flood back” onto public transport.

A barista serves from behind protective screens in a Pret coffee shop in London.

A customer shops near a social distancing sign at Osterley Garden Centre in London. Some of the coronavirus lockdown measures are being relaxed in England on Wednesday, with garden centres reopening but with extra measures such as social distancing.

Heavy traffic queues on the approach to enter the Blackwall Tunnel heading north towards central London during the morning rush hour. People living in England got more freedom on Wednesday to leave their homes, including to go to work, the first stage of an easing of the seven-week coronavirus lockdown. The partial lifting of restrictions comes despite concern that Britain has the second-highest death toll from the virus in the world -- and confusion about the new rules.

Passengers wearing masks walk along the platform at Vauxhall Underground station in London after a partial loosening of the coronavirus lockdown guidelines.

Hull City Council workers use street sweepers as they disinfects the public footpaths and structures to guard against the transmission of COVID-19 in the city centre of Kingston-Upon-Hull in northeast England.

Delivery riders queue up outside a McDonald's restaurant in east London, after the restaurant opened for delivery only orders. McDonald's re-opened on May 13, , 15 pilot stores in South East England for delivery orders as the restaurant chain seeks to safely reopen after closing all its branches on March 23. Britain's coronavirus-ravaged economy shrank in the first quarter at the fastest pace since the global financial crisis, official data showed , leaving it on the brink of recession despite easing lockdown measures.

Construction workers wearing PPE (personal protective equipment), some including face masks, work to build new apartments and a retail complex at Nine Elms in south London. The British government on Monday published what it said was a "cautious roadmap" to ease the seven-week coronavirus lockdown in England, notably recommending people wear facemasks in some public settings. They also encouraged those working in construction, manufacturing and other manual jobs to return to work, while recommending those able to work from home to continue to do so.

Pedestrians on London's nearly deserted Millennium Bridge, over the river Thames.

One of the first members on the course, David Scales plays out of a greenside bunker which has no rake as a health precaution at The Dyke Golf Club on the south coast of England , as the golf club reopens as restrictions are eased during COVID-19 pandemic. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson began this week to relax some of lockdown measures in order to help the economy, despite the rising death toll, but he has also stressed that great caution is needed.

Men exercise and walks dogs on a path running through the course at Sunningdale Golf Club, in England. Tennis courts and golf courses in England reopened from Wednesday, although people can only play with members of their own household. The sports venues were ordered to be closed in March when Britain imposed a national lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A shopper looks at vegetables at a local market stall in the near-deserted city centre of York, northern England.

People wait in line to enter a bank in the Brixton area of London.