More than half of Brits would feel uncomfortable returning to restaurants after lockdown

According to a YouGov poll, 57% of those surveyed said they would feel uncomfortable visiting restaurants post-lockdown; while 63% said they would be uneasy about going to a pub or bar. In total 1,652 were polled, and all results exclude people who said they wouldn’t visit each type of place in normal situations. 

The poll, which asked respondents which stores and services they would feel comfortable returning to once the lockdown lifts, paints a bleak picture for the hospitality sector going forward.

The results come as Professor Chris Whitty, the Government’s chief medical adviser, confirms that social distancing measures will be needed until at least the end of the year to prevent fresh Coronavirus outbreaks.

Speaking during yesterday’s (22 April) daily news briefing, Whitty said it was important to be realistic that social distancing would need to be in place for “really quite a long period of time”.

“We have to be very realistic,” he said. 

“If people are hoping it’s suddenly going to move from where we are in lockdown to where suddenly into everything is gone, that is a wholly unrealistic expectation.

“We are going to have to do a lot of things for really quite a long period of time, the question is what is the best package and this is what we’re trying to work out."