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You Can Get A Pint Inside The Pub In England As Of Today As Lockdown Eases Further

You Can Get A Pint Inside The Pub In England As Of Today As Lockdown Eases Further

We're no longer at the mercy of the elements

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

We made it everyone. It's been a strange and occasionally attritional few weeks sitting outside - although we made the most of it, right? - but as of today we're actually allowed to go back inside the pub again.

Well, everyone who lives in England, anyway.

That means no more dressing up for any potential weather the spring might throw at us, no more huddling underneath makeshift marquees and large branded umbrellas while the storm fills up the pint glass, and no more pretending it's nice just to get a pint, even though it's literally snowing.

17 May represents the next step in the government's roadmap to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and while it's going to be great to unveil the next section of normality so many of us have been deprived of, it's also worth remembering this fight is far from over just yet.

Pubs like this one will be empty no more.
PA

So, if you do head out to a pub or a restaurant - and you should, they need the bloody cash - remember to stick in groups of six or of no more than two households, practise social distancing, and wear face coverings where required.

Basically, use your loaf, because there's the potential things could go backwards if we don't all pull in the correct direction.

The new and concerning B.1.617.2 variant currently on the rise in some places means we need to keep to the rules and restrictions as much as ever before, even while we're allowed to return back inside for a jar and something to eat.

Announcing the easing of restrictions, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: "The four tests for Monday have been met."

Those tests are - the continuation of a successful vaccine deployment campaign, vaccines driving down infections and deaths, infection rates being below the point where hospitals could be overwhelmed, and the risks of new concerning variants not fundamentally altering the future outlook.

The four tests have been met, meaning that the pubs can reopen.
PA

Zahawi added: "We think that the roadmap for Monday remains in place because the vaccines are delivering and vaccines are keeping people out of hospital and of course away from severe infection.

"So, we are confident of that and then of course we will continue to monitor."

The move has been met with cautious optimism by those in the industry, with some suggesting that the restrictions still make turning a profit difficult for the hospitality sector.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of industry body UKHospitality, told the Evening Standard: "This is a much welcome and vitally important next step, as we continue along the road map to remove restrictions.

"There is a huge sense of relief within the sector, in particular for the six in 10 venues that were not able to reopen over recent weeks due to a lack of outdoor space."

There is a sense of cautious optimism around the hospitality sector once again.
PA

"However, with significant restrictions still in place, this is a psychological opening rather than an economic one, with the profitability of the sector still a huge issue.

"This is why sticking to the road map and the removal of all restrictions by June 21 is absolutely crucial, enabling venues to finally operate in viable conditions, after 14 months of severely disrupted trading."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, England, Pubs, Coronavirus, Covid-19