Pubs Opening & Hygiene

How’s this going to work? Although I’m sure there’s plenty of measures in place that I’m happy with pre-Covid in terms of sanitising glasses, plates and cutlery, etc., will new measures be put in place to ensure (or try to) a Covid-compliant experience? Will glasses have to go through a deeper cleaning process thus lengthening the time between pints being pulled? Additional staff to monitor social distancing? Signing a waiver prior to entry? No excess drinking, such as getting drunk?

Yes, it’s going to be tough. Pubs are ideal breeding grounds for viruses.

Worryingly I read that pubs were going to take our contact details… I assume to contact all drinkers in the event of a known Covid-19 diagnosis?

I saw a ‘bring your own pint glass’ suggestion somewhere. I think there’s a market for ‘pint‘ glasses around 600ml haha

It will I suspect vary pub by pub partly depending on their business model and location. Ones with substantial space and a good food offering might operate more as a mini restaurant with timed sittings perhaps. The pubs that have a more pure drinking model will be more of a challenge. Spoons has an app but is not really built on a socially distancing model I suggest (and not all drinkers have smartphones).

A lot of this will be down to personal view of risk and we will have to get used to the fact that any activity until there is an effective virus brings some increased COVID-19 risk. And of course even if you choose not to go down the Dog and Duck, but your neighbours do, then there is increased risk in your neigbourhood.

But, on balance I support opening pubs and restaurants but accept it needs careful monitoring and potentially re-tightening if their is a local spike. Partly because history tell us that close legit pubs you get unsafe alternatives (US Prohibition). Partly as keeping businesses locked down will have highly detrimental economic and social impacts, some of these with their own health and mortality problems.

Think you might see pubs offering carry-outs along with stay-in drinking. The Chandos for example will be well advised to keep a part of their trade carry-out / delivery.

I understand the rationale for collection of details, but it seems like a potential GDPR issue which they’ll need to sort out first (more legislation?!)

There’s an exemption in the GDPR for data collected and processed “in the public interest”:

Ah ok thanks - your GDPR knowledge is far better than mine! In which case my only concern would be that they keep the details securely as otherwise a fraudster is well on the way to fun times.

And so we’re back to the contact tracing discussion. Have we delegated contact tracing to landlords now?

Disposable containers might be more hygienic. There could be issues with cross contamination if bar and cafe staff have to refill customers’ own glasses.

And that it’s just phone numbers, not addresses. We don’t want a list on the bar that advertises which local properties are empty.

Apologies as the pub described in the link isn’t local though I do know the owners well. They’ve worked hard to adapt their business models for their customers and worked hard in the local community to provide some of the social benefits a pub can have. I particularly like the idea of offering a call service for friendly chats with your local bar man or woman.

Might be something in here for any publicans reading this forum.

What nice people and what a lovely idea