People can meet in groups of up to 30 people indoors or outdoors, according to a new law.

The new coronavirus lockdown laws for England - The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations - were published yesterday afternoon and come into force today.

It states that larger gatherings of up to 30 people are legal. And there is no mention of limits on the number households that can gather.

However, the Government has continued to advise people to meet in groups of up to six people outdoors or two households indoors.

The Government has also urged people keep two metres apart, or one metre if they can take extra precautionary measures like wearing face masks, sitting side-by-side as opposed to face on, and washing their hands regularly.

There does not appear to be any legal requirement to provide names and contact details to venue owners when you visit.

What are the exceptions to the 30-people limit?

Exceptions are gatherings organised by businesses – such as pubs, restaurants and cinemas - and charities, public or political bodies.

However, the bosses must carry out a health and safety risk assessment beforehand and measures must be taken to prevent the risk of transmission of coronavirus.

Gatherings for work or education and training as well as to carry out legal obligations are allowed.

Can I play cricket and football outside with friends or family?

There is nothing written into the new law to ban people playing cricket or football together.

Professor Chris Whitty told the Downing Street press conference on Friday that it may be possible to play the games safely at a distance as long as participants take precautions like keeping distance to avoid contact.

Matt Hancock can now order the closure of any public outdoor place

The Health Secretary can now order the closure of any public outdoor place – like parks or open country – without needing to write it into law if there is a “serious and imminent threat to public health”. He must consult chief medical officers before doing so.

Although the decision is open to appeal from only owners and occupiers.

Once an outdoor area is designated a restricted area you can only go in it with a reasonable excuse – as set out the law and along similar lines to previous lockdown rules.

Local authorities will be responsible to notify people of the restriction. Officials will have to set out what is the restricted area and for how long it is closed.

These decisions must be reviewed every seven days.

Can I still get fined?

Yes, people can still be issued with fines of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, up to a maximum of £3,200 for repeat offences or be prosecuted.

Officers still have powers to disperse large groups and remove people from an area.

How long will the rules last?

The regulations expire after six months unless they are scrapped by the Government earlier.

But the law requires Health Secretary Matt Hancock to terminate any of the restrictions and requirements as soon as they are considered no longer necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

They must be reviewed every 28 days and the first review must take place by July 31.

What about Leicester?

The Government has published new local lockdown rules for Leicester which come into force on Saturday.

The regulations state all non-essential businesses must shut and ban people from staying overnight at another household.

The rules will be reviewed every two weeks, with the first review due on July 18.