Covid: When can pubs and restaurants reopen?
- Published
England and Scotland have set out dates for when pubs and restaurants may be able to reopen again, as the vaccine roll-out protects an increasing share of the population.
Hospitality venues across most of the UK are currently closed as part of the national lockdown, although they can offer takeaway food and drink within certain restrictions.
When will pubs and restaurants re-open?
In England the earliest dates for hospitality reopening are:
- 12 April - Restaurants and pub gardens will be allowed to serve customers sitting outdoors - including alcohol; customers can meet in a group of up to six people from different households; a maximum of two households can meet to form a group of any size
- 17 May - Hospitality venues can seat customers indoors; parties can be made up of a maximum of six people or two households of any size; groups seated outside must be smaller than 30 people
- 21 June - All restrictions will be lifted, and nightclubs will be allowed to re-open
These decisions will be a minimum of five weeks apart, and guided by whether the "four tests" are being met, including the vaccine roll-out going to plan, and no surge in hospital admissions.
In Scotland, hospitality venues are set to reopen from about 26 April, as part of a return to the "levels" system of regional restrictions. Customers can visit with members of their own household, or six people from two different households can meet outdoors.
Changes in Scotland are likely to be a minimum of three weeks apart and are subject to certain conditions being met.
What are the current rules?
Cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs are currently closed almost everywhere in the UK, but can deliver food and some drink. The rules on this vary slightly in different parts of the UK:
- In England, venues are allowed to provide food and non-alcoholic drinks for takeaway until 23:00 GMT, and for click-and-collect and drive-through services
- In Wales, bars and pubs may also sell takeaway alcoholic drinks, if they are already licenced to do so
- In Northern Ireland, businesses providing takeaway services must close at 23:00 and off-sales must stop at 20:0
- Hospitality venues are closed on mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Skye, Bute, Arran and Gigha; takeaways must be picked up from outside the premises, and alcohol cannot be sold for outdoor consumption
- On Orkney, Shetland, and all other Scottish islands, hospitality can open - but it is table-service only, no alcohol can be sold, and venues must close at 18:00