People Flock To Pubs At Midnight To Enjoy First Indoor Pint In Months

People flocked to pubs at midnight to enjoy their first indoor pint in months.

Covid-19 restrictions have been eased as of today (Monday 17 May) - with England moving to Step 3 of its roadmap out of lockdown - and many couldn't wait to take advantage.

PA

Since 12 April, people have been able to drink in beer gardens, but as we all know too well, that has been fraught with lengthy queues and merciless downpours.

But now, pubs can throw open their doors to punters, and The Oak Inn in Coventry did so just as the clock creeped past midnight.

About 100 people gathered for a drink and owner Darren Lee said the early opening had been 'very well received', adding his locals were 'really glad to be back inside - they're really up for it'.

PA

Ian Snowball, the owner of Showtime Bar in Huddersfield, said he hoped the number of people in the bar would continue to snowball as the days and weeks pass.

He said: "It's not as big as it was when we first opened in the garden, that was immense.

"This is a bit of an anti-climax but I think it'll build up again - the anticipation isn't quite there like it was last time. But it's still good fun.

"I think for people from the North, it's kind of special to us, a pub.

"There's an intimacy when we all get together, with our friends, and we talk."

PA

The rules mean you can now go for a beer inside a pub in a group comprised of two households, or six people from different households. The same goes for meeting groups in your homes.

Meanwhile, groups of 30 can meet outdoors, and museums, cinemas, children's play areas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadiums can all reopen, as can hotels.

There is some doubt surrounding whether we will move to the final step of the roadmap next month due to the new and concerning B.1.617.2 variant, which is currently on the rise in some places.

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

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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.

Topics: UK News, lockdown, Pubs, Alcohol, Pub, Covid-19

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