Pub beer gardens are to reopen in England after Boris Johnson confirmed the lockdown easing roadmap would go ahead as planned.
The prime minister had warned the lifting on restrictions was dependent on four tests, including the success of the vaccine deployment programme, evidence that vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations, confirmation that infection rates not surging, and that the assessment of these risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of the virus.
On Monday, 5 April he confirmed the country had made sufficient progress in tackling the Covid to move onto step 2 of the roadmap.
What does this mean for pubs? Here’s everything you need to know.
When will beer gardens reopen?
Boris Johnson has confirmed that restaurants, pubs, and cafes can reopen for outdoor dining and drinking in England on 12 April.
Read more: Lockdown roadmap: What is reopening and when?
When hospitality does reopen, the prime minister said that rules will apply, including the rule of six or two-household rule.
Unlike before, though, there will be no curfew, or substantial meal rule, but customers must remain seated and not order at the bar.
Many pubs are already taking bookings for tables outside given that spaces will be limited due to social distancing measures.
When will pubs reopen indoors?
People will not be permitted to actually drink or dine together inside a pub until the next stage of Mr Johnson’s lockdown roadmap, which is currently set for 17 May.
The requirement to remain outdoors is because the virus spreads less easily in the open air.
