Covid: What are the new rules for pubs and restaurants?

New rules for visits to pubs and restaurants in England are being introduced, when lockdown ends on 2 December.

Different rules are in place in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

There are also special rules over the Christmas period.

Despite the special rules for meeting others over the festive period, you will not be allowed to go with your Christmas bubble to hospitality settings, such as pubs and restaurants, or to entertainment venues.

You can meet people outside your Christmas bubble, but only in line with the tier rules of the area in which you are staying.

The rules vary across three tiers which regions will be placed into on Thursday. The tiers are reviewed every 14 days.

Businesses are legally required to take customers' contact details, so they can be traced if there is an outbreak. They can be fined up to £10,000 if they do not do this, or if they take reservations of more than six, or do not enforce social distancing.

Staff in hospitality venues must wear masks, as must customers when not seated at their table to eat or drink. The penalty for not wearing one, or breaking the ''rule of six'' is £200 for a first offence.

Wedding receptions and wakes - where drinks and food are often served - will be permitted in tiers one and two.

People will be able to have 15 guests for weddings, civil partnerships, wedding receptions and wakes, as well as 30 guests for funerals in all tiers. But in tier three, wedding receptions will not be permitted.

Northern Ireland will go into a two-week circuit-break lockdown from 00:01 GMT on Friday 27 November.

Currently pubs, bars and restaurants are shut, except for takeaways and deliveries, which must stop by 23:00.

After 27 November, these closures will continue, and cafes and coffee shops will also need to close, except for those offering takeaways.

Pubs, restaurants and cafes are open and a maximum of four people can meet indoors, unless they are from a single household. This does not include children under the age of 11.

Any hospitality venue serving alcohol must provide table service only and all food and drink has to be consumed at tables.

Entry to premises is controlled and you will probably be required to pre-book with details of all members of the group.

Customers must wear face coverings, except when seated to eat or drink.

Businesses are legally required to take customers' contact details. They can be fined up to £10,000 if they do not do this, or if they take reservations of more than four, or do not enforce social distancing.

Each area of Scotland has been placed in one of five tiers.

Restaurants, pubs and bars can open in regions that are placed in level zero, level one, level two or level three.

In level zero, up to eight people from three households can meet indoors, while in level one, a maximum of six people from two households can meet indoors.

In level two, pubs, bars and restaurants are permitted to sell alcoholic drinks only if they come with substantial meals.

This is allowed only until 20:00 indoors, and outdoors until 22:30.

In level three, alcohol sales are not permitted either indoors or outdoors. Cafes, pubs and restaurants are permitted to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks until 18:00.

And in level four, all hospitality venues must close.

Table service and the wearing of face coverings when not seated by all customers is mandatory in all hospitality venues.

UK pub and hospitality bodies have published guidance for bars and restaurants on how to operate contact tracing.