No sign of two-metre rule in guidance for pubs
THE two-metre rule has been left out of draft government guidance on reopening pubs and restaurants.
Officials are discussing advising the hospitality sector to focus on “wider spacing” between customers and other safeguarding measures, raising the prospect the Government is preparing to bow to pressure to change its mind. The Prime Minister discussed the ruling with Cabinet colleagues last night, leaving them with the impression he was impatient to reduce the distance, while still being bound by scientific advice. But Downing Street sources denied any change was imminent.
There have been calls for the restriction to be altered, with Alok Sharma, the Business Secretary, challenged repeatedly at yesterday’s daily press conference on when the Government would announce the results of a review. Mr Sharma declined to say if there was a plan to reduce the distance before res- taurants and pubs were allowed to reopen.
He said the rule remained under review, adding: “When it is safe to do so, we will see whether you can move to a shorter distance.” The minister also said that pubs, bars, restaurants and hairdressers would not be able to reopen until July 4 “at the earliest”.
However, no specific requirements on distance between tables have been
stipulated in a draft of the guidance, which instead makes reference to “wider spacing” and using screens and barriers where appropriate.
Previously, guidance for restaurants said: “Provide where possible for twometre social distancing,” adding that venues should provide floor markings to signal the distances.
A Tory MP last night welcomed the proposal, saying guiding venues to keep their distance instead of specifying two metres was “what we need to do”, adding: “If businesses can boost capacity and break even, that means they can keep going.”
Venues will be asked to define the maximum number of customers that can reasonably follow social distancing, according to the draft guidance. This would take into account “total indoor and outdoor space, specific venue characteristics such as furniture as well as likely pinch points and busy areas”.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has been urged to ditch the two-metre rule for restaurants and pubs, or risk venues not being able to reopen.
UK Hospitality on Monday wrote to the Prime Minister warning that specifying a two-metre rule would mean venues could only generate “30 per cent of normal revenues”.
Urging a halving of the rule would mean “the avoidance of mass redundancies and a quicker withdrawal of furlough”, the letter said.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: “A 30 per cent capacity would be completely unviable for almost every business. Reducing it to one metre would allow businesses to operate at around 70 per cent capacity, which might allow them to at least break even.”
Some venues have already felt the effects of two months’ closure. Brett Graham, head chef at the Notting Hill restaurant The Ledbury, which has two Michelin stars, said yesterday he had no plans to reopen and that all staff had started the redundancy consultation process.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said: “We are working at pace to develop safe ways for pubs, restaurants, bars and cafés to reopen.”
Yesterday Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said the Government’s position was that the two-metre rule should “remain in place” but would be kept “under review”.
Meanwhile, Nicola Sturgeon yesterday pledged to maintain the two-metre social distancing rule in Scotland. “I’ve not seen anything that would advise a change in the two-metre rule right now,” she said.