Ministers preparing to allow pubs to serve people at the bar from June
Ministers are speaking with the hospitality sector about relaxing rules on ordering drinks at the bar in pubs across England from 21 June as the government looks set to stick with its roadmap timetable.
Chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency Dr Jenny Harries said yesterday that the prospect of lifting most if not all restrictions next month was “looking good”, while home secretary Priti Patel also said the data was “looking good”.
The Telegraph reported this morning that business minister Paul Scully was telling hospitality business groups that the government wants people to be allowed to order drinks at the bar and stand in hospitality venues from next month.
Boris Johnson reportedly told the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers that the one-metre-plus social distancing rule was also likely to go.
The government is expected to release its review into social distancing at the end of this week, which will give more details on whether any restrictions will remain beyond next month.
Johnson warned the country less than two weeks ago that the 21 June date may slip as the more transmissible Indian variant began to spread in some parts of the UK.
Covid-19 rates have slightly increased in the UK, with 17,719 cases in the past seven days – an 11 per cent weekly increase.
However, hospitalisations and deaths from coronavirus continue to drop as more people get vaccinated – almost 40m Britons have now had at least one jab.
Forty-two people died from Covid in the past seven days – a 43 per cent decrease.
Ministers appear to be upbeat about lifting restrictions on 21 June, however Professor Adam Finn, a member of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI), was more cautious yesterday.
Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “We’re effectively in a race with the vaccine programme against the virus. We know that we’re letting the virus out by spreading it about now, we know that we’re progressing well with the vaccine programme, but I think there’s going to need to be an adjustment of some sort.”