Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Conservative MPs the ‘one-metre plus’ rule for social distancing remains set to be abandoned in June.
The Prime Minister said eliminating the measure was the ‘single biggest difference’ the government could bring about in order to get Britain’s pubs back into action, and he was eager for the rule to be scrapped by June 21,
While the rule is in force, pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and other hospitality businesses remain commercially unviable, having to legally keep customers separated while using their premises, industry leaders have warned.
The rise of the Indian Covid variant had sparked concerns that plans to end social distancing measures were in jeopardy, however, the PM has told Conservative MPs he is ‘confident’ about abolishing the measures next month, according to the Times Boris Johnson told the 1922 Committee earlier this week: ‘We are hopeful we can do that at the end of the road map.’ But he added it depends on figures ‘continuing in the right direction’.
The PMs comments comes as the UK’s daily death toll from Covid-19 has fallen by more than a third in a week, with only seven victims yesterday.
Britain’s daily Covid deaths have fallen by more than a third in a week as seven more victims and 2,874 positive tests were recorded. Yesterday’s infections were up slightly on the 2,657 last Thursday, a rise of about 8 per cent, but the national case rate has remained stable since April.
Last week the PM said more announcements would be made regarding social distancing and masks ‘before the end of the month’. He said a return to normality would depend on the Indian variant remaining under control after infections have surged in several areas.
One MP who was at the 1922 meeting said: ‘He seemed very upbeat about removing the one-metre-plus rule next month.
‘He told us he fully realises that it is the biggest difference the government can make to letting pubs serve customers in reasonably normal conditions and that means getting rid of any capacity restrictions.’
Chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, Emma McClarkin, welcomed the news.
She said: ‘Given pubs are financially unviable under the current restrictions they face, being able to reopen without any restrictions at all from June 21 is going to be vital to their survival.’
The possible scrapping of the one metre rule would be good news for the world’s smallest pub, The Signal Box Inn in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, which at just 2.4 metres by 2.4 metres are unable to seat customers inside until the one metre plus rule is ditched.
Pre-lockdown the former Victorian signal box, and now a pub in could “comfortably” accommodate up to six people, but despite the latest easing capacity is restricted to what only is permissible within current social distancing and table service rules.
Although current regulations allow six people or two households to drink inside, customers still need to order, eat and drink while seated, however the pubs’s dimensions make that impossible.
With one person serving behind the bar even a single drinker breaks the one metre plus rule!
Last week the PM said more announcements would be made regarding social distancing and masks ‘before the end of the month’. He said a return to normality would depend on the Indian variant remaining under control after infections have surged in several areas.
“I think we have to wait a little bit longer to see how the data is looking but I am cautiously optimistic about that and provided this Indian variant doesn’t take off in the way some people fear, I think certainly things could get back much, much closer to normality,’ he said.
The PM said ministers will ensure they follow the data when making a firm decision about the June 21 final unlocking date. ‘If we have to do other things, then of course the public would want us to rule nothing out,’ he added, ‘We have always been clear we would be led by the data. ‘At the moment, I can see nothing that dissuades me from thinking we will be able to go ahead on Monday and indeed on June 21, everywhere, but there may be things we have to do locally and we will not hesitate to do them if that is the advice we get.’
