NEW TWO-HOUR PUB ‘RULE’ FOR DRINKERS
WELSH GOVERNMENT’S NEW ‘RULE OF THUMB’ STARTS MONDAY
WELSH drinkers and diners are being advised of a new “two-hour rule” for how long they can stay in the pub or restaurant when the firebreak lockdown is lifted on Monday.
And the Welsh Government is also discouraging pub crawls, in a bid to help tackle the spread of coronavirus when restrictions ease.
Further guidance for Wales’ hospitality businesses was released yesterday by officials ahead of the reopening of the industry on Monday.
Rules released earlier this week say four adults from single households are allowed to sit together, both indoors and outdoors, and must provide proof of address and ID.
The limit of four people only applies to a group who are not all in one household. It means a family of six, for example, who all live as a single household can still go to the pub or to a restaurant together and would not be breaking the rules.
Test, track and trace will be continued and customers must remain seated.
And yesterday, the Welsh Government expanded on those conditions, saying tables should be booked only for a limited time, discouraging people from visiting multiple venues.
The guidance reads: “Booking periods/dwell times of up to two hours should be considered as a rule of thumb.”
The Welsh Government explained:
“Whilst the main aim of these measures is to minimise the level of risk, it is ultimately everyone’s responsibility to consider the most sensible thing to do to avoid the spread of the virus.
“This includes continuing to ensure safety measures are in place but also factoring in the risks associated with the length of time people spend in hospitality venues, the number of people present and levels of ventilation.
“The longer a person with the virus spends in a venue and the more they interact with others, the higher the number of people likely to be infected.
“In addition, the more people move between hospitality venues, the more likely it is the virus spreads and the more difficult it becomes for contacts to be traced.”
The guidance reiterates that the measures are installed with the belief that it is safer to regulate mixing in settings like pubs and restaurants than private households.
For some venues the time limit is a pain, mainly pubs that are “wet led”, at which the majority of custom comes from those coming out for drinks, while for others, like quickserve restaurants specialising in small, multiple dishes, two hours simply isn’t needed.
The Coconut Tree on Mill Lane in Cardiff is one such place.
Brand director Anna Garrod welcomed the new rules: “Our freshly cooked Sri Lankan street food is always served ‘as it comes’ and this, along with the fact that we serve multiple dishes, small and large, straight to the table, means that although it’s a bit of a feast, it’s usually no more than two-course.
“Two hours is ample time to get stuck in with a couple of cocktails. No one ever feels rushed, and we feel that we can happily keep our tables turned in a vibey – but right now most importantly safe – restaurant space.”
Meanwhile Jon Bassett, of JWB Pubs, which has five venues in Cardiff and Newport, highlighted how the “rule of thumb” would take careful consideration in how to manage customers and may not be viable at all.
Jon said: “Taking into account the difficult job the Welsh Government has in containing the virus, with our business model as it is , it’s a headscratcher for us, the two-hour rule.
“Sporting events on TV play a huge role in our business and we pay a huge cost to have it. Football is the main driver followed by rugby union and both sports can take well over two hours with replays, injuries and other stoppages.
“If a customer comes in half an hour before for instance he/she would have to leave before the game has ended. Obviously that in itself could cause a range of problems. We may lose that customer forever through asking them to leave.
“Added to that is will that space be used before or after the booking? Its doubtful isn’t it ? I’m not looking at a way around it, I’m just thinking is it going to be viable?”