Covid 19 - What you need to know - Roadmap to reopening be announced on 22nd February

The Government has indicated that the Prime Minister will set out a date for when pubs and restaurants can reopen when he announces the plan for ending lockdown in a speech on Monday, 22nd February.

Reports in the media including by Propel state “rules forcing pubs to serve a “substantial meal” with alcohol are set to be scrapped when the lockdown is next eased.”

The ‘substantial meal’ rule caused much confusion as Ministers struggled to clearly define what constituted a substantial meal. Some Cabinet Ministers cited a Scotch Egg or Cornish Pasty as being ‘substantial’ while one Police force challenged operators on the size of their pizza slices.

We will hopefully have a clearer path to the reopening on the sector after the 22nd February speech which, we hope, will recognise and not repeat the mistakes of past restrictions.