London, Apr 26 (IANS): Scotland and Ireland eased their lockdown restrictions on Monday, as the two nations slowly returned to the pre-pandemic life.

Scotland, which has a tier system, will allow all shops, gyms and indoor sports facilities to reopen, while pubs, cafes and restaurants will reopen outdoors for groups of up to six people, DPA reported.

Non-essential work in other people's homes will also resume, including cleaning, repairs, and painting and decorating.

Earlier, only hairdressers and barbers, homeware shops, electrical repair shops and vehicle showrooms were allowed to reopen, while teenagers between ages 12 and 17 could play outdoor sports.

In Ireland, outdoor sports training for under-18s can begin again, golf and outdoor tennis can be played, and citizens can access outdoor visitor attractions like zoos and wildlife parks.

Two people who have been fully vaccinated can also meet again, indoors and outdoors.

Since April 12, two households were allowed to meet outdoors, while people were allowed to travel within their county for exercise and recreation. They previously were allowed to only stay within 5 kilometres from their homes.