Boris Johnson Expected To Announce Pubs Can Close Later After Lockdown

Boris Johnson is expected to announced that pubs and restaurants will be allowed to stay open later once current lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Prior to the lockdown, pubs and restaurants had to have everyone out by 10pm; however, it is understood that last orders will be at 10pm and curfew will be pushed back to 11pm from 2 December, according to Sky News.

PA

Asked on The Andrew Marr Show whether the 10pm curfew may be changed post-lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "It's definitely something that we're looking at and I think, as I said, one of the things that we've been able to do as we've learned is get data, see what works and see where we can improve things.

"I think it's probably fair to say when we introduced the curfew, that was something that was in common with many other countries and cities around the world.

"As we've learnt more, there's opportunities for us to look and refine things, and that is one of the things on our list."

The prime minister hopes to have his Covid Winter Plan signed off by cabinet today before presenting it at parliament on Monday.

Johnson will announce that England is set to return to a three-tiered regional system, but the tiers will generally be more strict than prior to the lockdown and more regions will be placed in higher tiers.

Johnson will also announce how people will be able to visit family at Christmas.

A No. 10 spokesperson said: "Everyone's efforts during the current national restrictions have helped bring the virus back under control, slowed its spread and eased pressures on the NHS.

"But the Prime Minister and his scientific advisors are clear the virus is still present - and without regional restrictions it could quickly run out of control again before vaccines and mass testing have had an effect.

"That would put in jeopardy the progress the country has made, and once again risk intolerable pressure on the NHS."

PA

SAGE is expected to publish further papers on Monday arguing that the previous tiers were not strict enough and that a tougher regional approach is required.

On Thursday, ministers will announce which areas will be placed into which tier, which will be based on the latest data and impact of national restrictions. MPs will be able to vote on the tiering system before it comes into force.

These tiers will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and are subject to change based on the latest data and trends.

The Covid Winter Plan will also outline how the government hopes to eventually relax restrictions through mass testing and vaccinations.

The NHS is preparing to administer the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine next month, once it has been approved for use in the UK by regulators, and it will be rolled out more widely in the new year.

Topics: UK News, Pubs, Coronavirus, Boris Johnson, Politics

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey