| For many Britons, perhaps nothing signals a return to normality more than the reopening of the nation's beloved pubs. The longed-for change came July 4 as part of the biggest easing of the U.K.'s lockdown since it was imposed in March. Hotels, restaurants, cinemas, outdoor gyms and playgrounds, libraries, social clubs, community centers and hairdressers were permitted to resume business the same day, while nightclubs remain closed. There are about 40,000 pubs in the U.K., and a trip to one's local is a beloved pastime. They are anchors in the community, where you can watch live sports with the energy of being in a stadium, be an active regular, or sit quietly, alone in the crowd. Pubs run popular trivia nights, bring in guest beers, and introduce people to new ideas and new friends. No doubt many will be eager to flock back to these establishments, and that will be welcomed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who faces pressure from fellow Conservatives to save the British economy as it faces its worst recession in 300 years. And the pub industry was struggling even before the pandemic, beset by issues ranging from high operating costs to changing tastes.  Staff at the riverside Trafalgar Tavern, a pub on the Thames at Greenwich, serve customers wearing required face shield in London. Photographer: Richard Baker/In Pictures But not all will rush the doors. A poll from YouGov in mid-June found only 26% of people saying they'd be comfortable visiting a pub—though twice that said they'd be happy to sit in a pub garden. And while reports are that many were crowded on their reopening weekend, a few have already shut after customers tested positive. Along with the reopening, the advice to people to keep a 2-meter distance from others has been shortened to 1 meter, as long as other mitigating measures are in place. Julian Apperley, publican of The Hare in East London's Bethnal Green district, said much of the government guidance has been "farcical." At full capacity, Apperley says he can fit about 80 to 100 people in the pub, but expects to lose about 40% of his normal business due to space constraints. Pubs have also been told to take names and addresses of customers to aid with track and trace measures. Apperley worries that such measures will take away much of the joy of going to the pub in the first place. "It's 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, and I'm supposed to go to someone who's had a few drinks and say 'Ah, you're getting too close to someone mate,"' he said. "If you're gonna start tossing orders around at people, it changes the vibe." In announcing the reopening last month, Johnson appealed to people to use "common sense" to stop the spread of the disease. His government's top medical advisers also warned that the virus will be with the U.K. at least into 2021. If people think "'This is all fine now, it's gone away,' and start to behave in ways that they normally would have before the virus, then we will get an uptick, for sure," Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said.—Anne Pollak | 
Post a Comment