‘Play your part’ public asked as pubs and restaurants re-open

Members of the public are being asked to play their part and not jeopardise the hard work put in by pubs and restaurants to safely re-open this weekend.

That’s the message from Lancaster City Council ahead of the latest easing of lockdown measures, which gives the green light for all pubs, restaurants, and hotels to reopen from Saturday (July 4).

The city council is working closely with businesses to prepare them for the re-opening, which will see a number of new public safety measures being put in place.

These include a requirement for people to leave their name and contact details as part of the ‘track and trace’ programme, ordering from the table rather than at the bar, and no live music or sport.

But to make this work, everyone needs to play their part and be prepared for a very different experience than before the coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox, cabinet member with responsibility for sustainable economic prosperity, said: “It’s great news that pubs and restaurants are being allowed to re-open and we will do everything we can to support them in doing so safely.

“We want people to enjoy the experience of 'going out' again but hopefully in the realisation that their next visit to a pub, bar, restaurant, or café will look very different to their last. They will be operating on a reduced capacity and have measures in place to keep them safe, in line with government guidelines.

“We all now need to show them our support by following the rules they’ve worked so hard to implement, be patient, and understand that it will not be business as usual.

“The fight against coronavirus is far from over and we have a duty to stay alert, take the necessary precautions to prevent a second spike and not jeopardise the road to recovery.”

Lancaster and Morecambe Chief Insp Chris Hardy added: “We want people to enjoy themselves if they are going out but to remember the guidance on social distancing.

"We would urge people to follow the rules of the pub, drink safely and plan their journey home in advance.
 
“We will have a significant policing operation in place this weekend with extra officers out to keep people safe. We will be targeting known hot-spot areas and we will seek to deal pro-actively with significant anti-social behaviour or large, unlawful gatherings.”

When you arrive at your venue, follow the instructions you will be given and be prepared to:

• Provide your name and contact details – this is to help the NHS contact you if there is a local outbreak
• Not to be allowed to remain inside.  Indoor gatherings are limited to members of any two households (or support bubbles), while outdoor gatherings are limited to members of any two households (or support bubbles), or a group of at most six people from any number of households
• In most cases, whether inside or outside, you will be shown to a table
•  Wash your hands regularly and/or use hand sanitiser
• Use a contactless method of payment
• Follow floor marking and signs for queuing and movement around the venue
• Don’t wander around the venue more than necessary and respect social distancing from other customers outside your group during your visit.

If in doubt, check with the venue and for any local rules they might have in place.

Last updated: 01 July 2020