LONDON (UK) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was eager to enjoy a visit to the pub and exhorted people to go out and enjoy their new freedom to socialise next month. However, he cautioned that they would still need to behave responsibly.
Johnson on Tuesday said pubs, restaurants and hotels could reopen in England from July 4, easing the coronavirus lockdown.
“Frankly I can’t wait to go to a pub or a restaurant, even if it may not be wholly compatible with the new diet that I’m on,” the PM told the media.
“I think people need to go out and I think they need to enjoy themselves, and rediscover things that they haven’t been able to do for a long time.”
The government is slated to relax its social distancing norms so that customers need to stay one metre from each other of two. Pubs and the hospitality industry have lobbied hard for this relaxation so they can get more customers.
Visitors to pubs will have to furnish their contact details, although exact guidelines are yet to be published.
The PM also listed getting a haircut to his trademark shock of blond hair as one of his priorities. He said the government was working to find a way to permit other higher-risk activities like playing cricket and visiting the theatre to resume.
“I want to see bustle, I want to see activity, but let’s be absolutely clear that I also want to see everybody being careful: stay alert and follow the guidance,” Johnson said.
“We can’t have, you know, great sort of writhing scenes in the beer gardens when the virus could be passed on.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field
