LONDON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Pubs and bars in England may be able to reopen in early July amid the British government's efforts to ease the lockdown, but "further safer working guidance" for these businesses has yet to be announced.
So as to help the industry survive the COVID-19 pandemic, pubs and associations in Britain are calling on the government to review and revise the 2-meter guideline for social distancing.
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REOPEN
"The industry has been given a glimmer of hope with July 4 as a target for the earliest possible date for the reopening of pubs. But sadly, if no reduction (on social distancing measures) is made before that, this could result in devastating pub closures and job losses in communities," Emma McClarkin, chief executive of British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) told Xinhua in an exclusive interview..
According to the figures released by the BBPA, leading trade association representing brewers and pubs, the current social distancing rule means that only about a third of England's pubs will be able to reopen.
McClarkin said the BBPA were hoping that pubs could reach that target date and were working closely with the government in order to ensure a safe environment for the pub staff and customers, but there were still major challenges.
"The biggest challenge we face right now, as a social environment that we have inside our pubs, is social distancing measures," she said, noting the current 2-meter rule in the country will be "extremely difficult" for pubs to operate.
"No two pubs are the same, it's why we love the great British pub -- it's full of character: nooks, crannies, small pinch-points which will make it extremely difficult for some of our pubs to operate under (the rule of) 2 meters," said McClarkin.
She told Xinhua that the industry had been calling for the government to adopt the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, which recommends keeping at least 1-meter social distancing.
According to BBPA's estimations, it would allow around 75 percent of England's pubs to be able to reopen, and "would really get the pub economy going again", if the social distancing measures could be reduced to 1 meter.
Some countries including China adopt the 1-meter rule but face masks are mandatory in public places, while some other countries including Germany and Italy have a 1.5 meter rule. But Britain, along with Canada and Spain, insists that people should keep 2 meters apart.
STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE
The BBPA said it's not too late for the government to review and revise its guidance, citing that insisting the current social distancing measures could have a severe impact on the industry.
The association released findings Thursday that overall sales of beer in the first quarter of 2020 were down by 7.2 percent year-on-year to 1.5 billion pints, the lowest level since the record began two decades ago, as the industry is facing the biggest crisis ever.
"The pandemic has been devastating for the British pub sector. We are really finding it extremely difficult to survive during this time. We've had some government support, but some pubs have been in receipt of no grants at all," McClarkin told Xinhua.
"We have closed our doors to play our part against coronavirus but now we need to find a pathway to reopening so that we don't lose the great British pub forever," she said.
The BBPA recently ran a poll of their members -- which include pubs and breweries -- to see how many of them would be able to survive the lockdown. It shows only 40 percent of their members would be unable to survive until September, unless government helps them.
"That's very very stark as we're now in June and looking towards the future -- will we be able to save those pubs, will we be able to keep those businesses viable?" McClarkin said.
FINDING NEW WAYS
Although pubs across the country have closed their doors during the lockdown period, some have found ways to adapt their business to serve communities.
A select number of Greene King pubs in London have launched a "pub grub" delivery and takeaway service for customers, which operates on a click-and-collect basis and has largely been successful. Due to this, the chain is looking to expand the service across the country.
"Some (pubs) have even turned into shops...They're trying to find new ways to adapt," McClarkin said.
"Breweries are doing the same. Some have actually created drive-throughs so you can still go in and pick up your favourite beers," she added.
The current 2-meter social distancing rule means that pubs are now having to look at new layouts, and review customer-staff interaction.
"We're looking at more table service rather than bar, limiting the amount of time you'll be having at the bar. Limiting the interaction between our staff and our customers," McClarkin said.
McClarkin stressed that keeping pubs alive are not just important for the economy, but also for the communities that they feature in.
"They add a lot to the social value of communities, bringing people together, celebrating life, and making sure that we are connected as a community and as a society," she said. Enditem
