Coronavirus: How are pubs keeping customers safe?

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Pubs and restaurants in England, Scotland and Wales will be given a curfew as part of measures to try to halt the spread of Covid-19.

What are the new rules in England?

From Thursday 24 September, all pubs, bars, restaurants, cafes and other hospitality venues in England must close by 22:00 BST.

They will be restricted by law to table service only, except for takeaways. Table bookings of more than six are not allowed and groups can't mingle.

Businesses are legally required to take customers' contact details, so they can be traced if there is an outbreak. They can be fined up to £10,000 if they do not do this or if they take reservations of more than six, or do not enforce social distancing.

Staff in hospitality venues must now wear masks, as must customers when not seated at their table to eat or drink. The penalty for not wearing one, or breaking the ''rule of six'' has doubled to £200 for a first offence.

What are the pub rules around the UK?

In Wales, pubs, bars and restaurants will also have to close by 22:00 from Thursday, with supermarkets and off-licences not allowed to sell alcohol after that time. In Scotland, a 22:00 curfew comes in on Friday.

Face coverings must be worn if you are not seated at a table.

In Northern Ireland, pubs that only serve drinks can now reopen, joining pubs that also serve food.

How do social distancing rules affect pubs?

Social distancing across the UK is officially 2m - but in England people can be "1m plus" if they, for instance, wear a face covering or don't sit face-to-face.

Pubs, restaurants and cafes can keep individual groups closer than 2m if they take certain steps to keep customers safe.

Areas under local restrictions because of high coronavirus rates have different rules.

What contact details do I have to provide?

UK pub and hospitality bodies have published guidance for bars and restaurants on how to operate contact tracing.

Contact details only need to be taken from one person in a group The details must be kept for 21 days Customers only need to give their name and phone number. Owners should note when they arrive and how long they stay Data can be taken in any way - paper, online or during a phone booking

If a customer tests positive, will the pub or restaurant have to close?

Possibly, but not necessarily.

Official government advice says an NHS Test and Trace call does not always mean a pub or restaurant must close.

It depends on the circumstances and when the infected person visited.

NHS Test and Trace could ask staff to:

get tested for Covid-19 take extra care with social distancing self-isolate "in some circumstances"

Local health protection officials have the power to close establishments.

Several pubs have temporarily closed after customers or staff tested positive for coronavirus.

If you are contacted personally by NHS Test and Trace, you should follow the advice and be prepared to self-isolate for a fortnight.

Is it safe to go to the pub?

Guidance has been issued in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on measures that pubs and restaurants must take to keep customers and staff safe.

They include:

The option of ordering food on apps Staff should wash their hands before handling plates and cutlery Music should be kept at a low volume to avoid people needing to shout, which increases the risk of transmission Pub-goers will be encouraged to book tables in advance Live gigs will be allowed, but should be outside where possible Controlled access to toilets

How did the hospitality sector cope during lockdown?

The hospitality sector was the third-largest employer in the country in 2018, according to UK Hospitality.

But many restaurants and cafes were already struggling even before the Covid-19 outbreak, in the face of rising rents and falling consumer spending.

Adnams brewery chief executive Andy Wood told the Today programme that the pub industry had taken health messages seriously and it seemed "incongruous" to be singled out.

He said the industry was still "on life support" with about 900,000 jobs at risk.

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has written to 1,000 people employed at six airports to say up to 450 jobs are at risk of redundancy.

Staff at Birmingham, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, and Stansted have been told the decision is "mainly a result of a downturn in trade in these pubs, linked with the large reduction in passenger numbers using the airports".

Media captionHarry in Gloucestershire says the lockdown has been "tough" for his business.

Since the pandemic hit, job cuts and closures have also been announced by several chains such as Byron Burger and Pizza Express.

Thousands of workers in the industry have been furloughed under the government's job retention scheme, which allows them to receive 80% of their monthly salary up to £2,500.

That scheme is now winding down, and is due to end on 31 October.