Pubs and restaurants to re-open in England as lockdown eased

Boris Johnson has announced sweeping changes to the lockdown in England. From Saturday 4th July you can have dinner out, have a drink in a pub, go on a staycation and get your haircut – with safety precautions put in place.

A “one metre plus” rule will replace the previous requirement that people keep at least 2 metres distance between each other, and two households of any size can meet up – inside or out.

Pubs and restaurants, cinemas, museums and hotels can reopen, providing they’ve made changes to reduce the possible spread of Covid-19. Other riskier venues like nightclubs, soft play centres and beauty salons will remain closed.

But the changes for the hospitality industry won’t be introduced so soon in Scotland and Wales. And the Government’s chief scientist was keen to warn that the virus “has not gone away” – describing this as a “long haul”.