During the Corona crisis many British people miss one thing in particular: their pub. Soon the beer could be flowing out of the taps in abundance again. But does that make sense at present?
A pint please! After more than three months of a compulsory Corona break, the popular English pubs could open again soon.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to discuss with ministers and scientists behind closed doors about a relaxation of the corona measures also in the catering trade. Johnson will present the results on Tuesday, a government spokeswoman of the German Press Agency in London confirmed.
Many pubs in Great Britain are regarded as second living rooms where people meet in convivial company after work for a beer. Especially in summer, crowds of people often stand in front of the entrances and drink their pint, which is the equivalent of just over half a litre.
When Johnson announced tough measures to contain the pandemic in the second half of March, he became almost theatrical about pub closures: “I know we’re doing something extraordinary. We are taking away the age-old and inalienable right of freeborn people to go to the pub.”
The managing director of the British Beer and Pub Association, Emma McClarkin, recently warned: “47,000 pubs and 2,000 breweries in Britain have reached a critical moment and now need a concrete date when they can reopen.” The industry fears the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
For years now, the operators have been fighting against pub deaths, especially in rural areas. A healthier lifestyle, the high beer tax and the smoking ban are keeping many Brits from going to pubs. In cities, on the other hand, it has often been difficult to find a place there.
British media now expect that despite the pandemic many pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers will be allowed to offer their services again from 4 July – but probably with certain safety precautions. The measures only apply to England: Each British part of the country will decide on its own measures in the fight against the virus.
A prerequisite for the pub openings is probably that the two-metre distance rule, which has been in force in England up to now because of the pandemic, will also be relaxed. Otherwise, many operators consider the operation of pubs and restaurants unrealistic and fear that sales will be far too low. A reduction of one metre is under discussion.
Critics, however, warn against premature measures: Britain has the highest number of corona deaths in Europe. The government is also accused of reacting too late and wrongly to the pandemic.
Whether a one-metre distance regulation makes sense and the beer in the pubs will soon be flowing again? Zeshan Qureshi, head of a study on social distance, has his reservations: “Many studies on keeping distance in the transmission of pathogens were based on old data and were not related to the corona virus, the London physician told the BBC. His conclusion: “More social distance is better than less social distance”.