'Lives depend on it': Revellers urged to keep social distancing after chaotic scenes last weekend

People going out this weekend have been urged to stick to social distancing rules, with pubs and restaurants preparing for the second weekend of trade after being allowed to reopen.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Londoners that "lives depend" on people keeping their distance from others this weekend, after thousands of people crowded into Old Compton Street in Soho last Saturday, many without face masks.

Wearing a mask, Mr Khan said in a video message: "Enjoy supporting your local businesses this weekend, but stay safe – lives depend on it.

“This includes wearing a face covering on public transport, in shops and where you can’t keep a social distance.”

Westminster city council said hospitality businesses like pubs and restaurants have been told that they can only serve people who are sitting down, in order to keep numbers low.

Councillor Matthew Green, who is responsible for business and planning, said: “Last weekend we saw a vast reopening of London’s most famous hospitality areas, with a large majority showing a safe and successful example of the new normal for the city’s bars, cafes, and restaurants.

“At the same time, we saw isolated instances of crowding in some of our busier areas.

“This is something that cannot happen again as we must ensure the safety of the public as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Police in Greater Manchester said the first weekend of pubs reopening went smoothly in the city, with just three premises choosing to close early after safety advice from officers and the local authority.

Superintendent Chris Hill said: “As we approach another weekend, one that promises slightly sunnier weather, I want to remind the public of the importance of continuing to social distance and respect others – the guidelines and restrictions still in place are paramount to preventing a second spike and not undoing the hard work done so far by everyone to minimise the spread of the virus.

“Our dedicated policing operation will continue running into this weekend, with our officers engaging with members of the public to explain and encourage the following of the guidelines, with enforcement as a last resort.”

Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said this weekend will likely see even more venues reopening, adding: “I also expect the industry to be under more pressure this weekend – a combination of better forecasted weather and great consumer confidence means we can safely anticipate more customers and therefore more pressures to maintain those safe standards.

“I want to appeal to the sector to keep its standards high. To the public, please stay local and boost nearby businesses, and please continue to respect the safety measures that are in place.”

Meanwhile, Merseyside Police expressed concern ahead of the weekend, writing on Twitter: “It’s concerning to see a rise in COVID19 cases in South Liverpool – stay safe this weekend and remember to follow public health guidelines.”

Read more

Pubgoers 'must keep to social distancing' as lockdown eased again-LIVE

English pubs and restaurants trade at half their pre-pandemic levels

Pub bans under 25s for flouting social distancing rules

Two dozen pubs may face court action for breaching coronavirus rules

Two more pubs shut after customers test positive for coronavirus

Clive Watson: The City Pub Group’s chairman discusses the lockdown