By Ashley Young-
Pubs and restaurants across England could be allowed to reopen two weeks earlier than planned.
Government ministers have June 22 in their sights as the planned date for reopening England’s pubs and restaurants for outdoor service. They plan to save three million jobs which could otherwise be lost this summer.
Reopening plans are to be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday . Under current plans , it seems there will only be a partial re-opening of pubs on July 22.
Pub chain Wetherspoons described the plans as a “psychological boost”, but not one that would completely replace a full re-opening. A full re-opening of pubs is not on the cards at the moment.
The British Beer & Pubs Association, representing pub companies, had warned that thousands of pubs could shut indefinitely unless there is urgent intervention, sooner rather than later. Social distancing of two metres in pubs will be impracticable even in beer gardens.
There are whispers that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering reducing the social distancing requirement to one metre. Allocating for sitting in beer gardens are generally not spaced out enough to ensure social distancing of more than one metre.
Ministers are also planning to shake up regulations for al fresco dining. Cafes and restaurants wanting that normally use pavement tables and chairs currently need an ‘outdoor seating licence’ from their local authority, which can take weeks to approve. Ministers want to slash approval times and are considering axing the fee, which can be as much as £500 a year.
Plans are also being drawn up to allow small shops to operate market-style stalls on the pavement outside. France, Denmark and China all use a one-metre rule, while Germany, Australia and the Netherlands all use 1.5 metres.
Mr Hancock yesterday insisted there was no ‘trade-off’ between the economy and health – and said the measures should stay in place for as long as needed to prevent a second wave of infections.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that he wanted to see the number of cases come ‘right down’ before a major relaxation of the lockdown.
Mr.Hancock’s views are more in tune with those of concerned GPs in the UK, who fear the lockdown is being eased too soon. A number of scientists advising the government share this concern also, but the plans are being made to achieve some balance between preventing a second spike, and slowly trying to open up some sections of the economy.