Pubs and restaurants in England will be able to reopen on 17 May, Prime Minister confirms
Speaking during a Downing Street press conference this afternoon (10 May), the Prime Minister said that the latest data showed the Government’s four tests, or ‘conditions’, for easing the rules have been met, allowing the country to push ahead with a 'considerable' easing of restrictions.
From Monday, pubs and restaurants will be able to welcome groups of up to six people, or two households, indoors for the first time since December last year.
Hotels and B&Bs will also be able to reopen, and foreign holidays will no longer be entirely restricted.
Social contact rules in outdoor hospitality settings, meanwhile, will be relaxed to allow groups of up to 30 people to congregate.
The Prime Minister added that the country is still on track to hit the fourth step on its roadmap out of lockdown on 21 June, which will see night-time economy businesses, such as nightclubs, finally allowed to reopen after more than a year a closure.
All legal limits on mixing are expected to be removed at this time.
Johnson also promised that further details on the Government’s plans for Covid-status certificates would be given later this month.
Reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “This is a much welcome and vitally important next step, as we continue along the roadmap to remove restrictions.
"There is a huge sense of relief within the sector, in particular for the 6 in 10 venues that were not able to reopen over recent weeks due to a lack of outdoor space. This also gives businesses far more certainty with trading no longer beholden to the weather.
"However, with significant restrictions still in place, this is a psychological opening rather than an economic one, with the profitability of the sector still a huge issue. This is why sticking to the roadmap and the removal of all restrictions by 21 June is absolutely crucial, enabling venues to finally operate in viable conditions, after fourteen months of severely disrupted trading.
"Hospitality, as it emerges from restrictions, is still in a fragile state and continued Government support will be critical to ensuring the sector is rejuvenated and plays a full role in the wider economic recovery.”
It is also understood that restrictions on indoor hospitality in Wales and Scotland will also be eased on 17 May, although this is expected to not be confirmed until later this week.
