England takes its biggest steps yet towards resumption of normal life on Saturday as people are finally allowed to drink in a pub, get a haircut or have a meal in a restaurant for the first time in over three months.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said everybody had to behave responsibly and maintain social distancing to support businesses and not risk a second wave of the coronavirus.
Some hairdressers were reported to have opened at the stroke of midnight while pubs will be allowed to start serving from 0500 GMT on so-called “Super Saturday”, sparking worries of pent-up over-indulgence.
Johnson said his message was to “enjoy summer safely” and not undo the progress made in knocking back the pandemic.
He said workers in pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and other businesses had made an heroic effort to prepare for reopening. “The success of these businesses, the livelihoods of those who rely on them, and ultimately the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly,” he said. “We must not let them down.” Police said they were “absolutely prepared” for the pubs reopening.
But customers might find the atmosphere inside rather different from the usual Saturday-night scrum.
Numbers will be limited, no one will be allowed to stand at the bar and there will be no live music. Patrons will also have to give their details to allow tracers to identify them if anyone later tests positive.
JD Wetherspoon, one of the biggest chains, said it had invested 11 million pounds ($14 million) in safety measures.Most of its pubs in England will open at the usual time of 8 a.m. on Saturday. It is not taking bookings, but said at busy times numbers would be controlled by staff.
Johnson said his government would also set out how amateur cricket matches – a traditional feature of the English summertime – can start up again. “We will be publishing guidelines in the next few days so that cricket can resume in time for next weekend,” he said.
While professional cricket has already been given the green light to restart, government advisors have been worried that the balls used in the sport could act as a vector for spreading the coronavirus.
England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, provided a glimpse of what the new guidelines would look like.”Providing people don’t do things that are clearly not sensible, ranging from hugging the bowler if they’ve just bowled someone for a duck through to spitting on the ball, it should be possible,” he said.
Johnson repeated his call for people to act responsibly on Saturday when pubs reopen and said he would not hesitate to act if needed to slow the spread of the virus.
He said the fall in the prevalence of the disease to one person in every 2,200 meant it was the right time for the reopening of the hospitality sector.
“It is incredibly important to get the balance right, and our priority is health,” he said. In Scotland and Wales, pubs are not due to reopen until mid-July.
