Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given the green light for pubs, restaurants, hotels and cinemas to reopen in England on 4 July. The two metre social distancing rule will be replaced with a ‘one metre-plus’ rule, with the government satisfied that the coronavirus rate of infection has fallen sufficiently.
New infections of Covid-19 are falling at a rate of 2 to 4 per cent every day. In the first half of June, there were just under 22,000 positive tests for coronavirus across the UK, the Prime Minister said, compared with nearly 69,000 infections in the first half of May. Mr Johnson said the government does not believe that there is currently a risk of a second wave of coronavirus that could overwhelm the National Health Service.
Hospitality and leisure operators have been particularly vociferous over the government’s current 2m rule. At the start of this month, Young & Co (YNGA) chief executive Patrick Dardis warned that 70 per cent of pubs and restaurants would not be viable under the current guidelines. Young's had been working towards having all of its pubs open in August with 1m of social distancing, although it stressed that it would follow government rules.
Mr Johnson admitted that 2m of social distancing prevents “all but a fraction of our hospitality industry from operating”. While pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open, all indoor hospitality will be limited to table service and the government will demand minimal staff and customer contact. Businesses will be asked to collect contact details from customers in assistance with the health service.
The relaxation of social distancing will also permit two households to stay overnight in self-contained accommodation, including hotels, as long as shared facilities are kept clean. Cinemas will also be allowed to reopen, although indoor gyms and bowling alleys will remain closed.
