Brits should be able to go back to boozing in pub beer gardens, according to one government advisor.
Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said if landlords are prepared to accept responsibility for overcrowding he sees "no particular reason why they should not reopen."
He believes it is time to relax the strict lockdown rules which were brought in on March 23 with pubs closed ever since.
There is little suggestion as to when they could welcome back punters.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove failed to rule out that they could remain shut until December last week and owners have called for clarity as they struggle to keep their businesses afloat.
But Prof Dingwall offered a glimmer of hope when he spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said: "If it is a sunny weekend afternoon and the pub has a garden and the landlords are prepared to accept responsibility for not overcrowding that garden, I see no particular reason why it should not reopen."
He also said the two-metre social distancing rule was "conjured up out of nowhere", adding: "There's never been a scientific basis for two metres, it's kind of a rule of thumb."
While the government is being urged to reveal its 'exit strategy' any time scale remains shrouded in uncertainty.
While many countries have begun to pursue a phased approach Britain is behind them in the pandemic cycle.
Today deaths fell to the lowest number since March but Sundays and Mondays have historically seen lower figures recorded.
If a similar phased approach was adopted it is likely pubs would be among the last places to reopen and it is unlikely that would happen before June.
