People hit pubs as COVID-19 restrictions ease in England, consume 6 million pints on first weekend

The COVID-19 restrictions were eased in England on April 12 after over three months.

Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The ease of COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom (UK) has resulted in people hitting the pubs on the first weekend of lockdown easing since April 12.

As per media reports, the pub gardens were packed across England and an estimated six million pints were drunk in one day.

Currently, pubs and restaurants are serving outdoors and indoor service are not allowed until May 17. Over 50,000 pubs and restaurants are presently serving alcohol, including the 10,000 locations that are serving takeaways.

The ease in restrictions after three months of COVID-19 lockdown has also led to huge profits for some pubs as the surge in demand has been reportedly ten times higher than normal.

On April 12, some people even had lined up at bars after midnight and in the morning to have a pint.

"It feels good to be back," a 21-year-old student had told Reuters in the large garden of Wetherspoon's Fox on the Hill pub in south London. 

"We planned it last night to come here for a breakfast, get a drink," he added.

At the busy Skylight rooftop bar in central London, a man had said that he travelled almost 113 km from Ipswich in eastern England to enjoy the atmosphere.

"It's a bit more of a vibe down here," he expressed. 

This will also help in boosting Britain's economy as official data showed that 2020 was the worst year for them in more than three centuries with a 9.8% decline in gross domestic product.

As per a report, thousands of British pubs didn't survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ones that did will need financial support for years if they are to recover. At least 2,000 pubs have been permanently closed, said the report.


(With inputs from agencies)

(Photos: Reuters)