Do we need to accept that some businesses / activities are simply not viable in a pandemic?

[Redolent]

Arizona is becoming the national hotspot for covid in the US...huge resurgence in cases and hospitalizations. They’ve opened up bars, restaurants etc and they’ve been absolutely packed for a month now with no social distancing in sight. Eg attached. (The UK ‘opening up’ has been very measured in comparison for all our other cock ups).

But how on earth do you enforce social distancing indoors in pubs, or in nightclubs? These places are underpinned by alcohol which makes all inhibitions go out the window. Talk of making these places socially-distanced is grim, sucks the fun out and wouldn’t be enforceable anyway. And they’re basically the ideal environment for transmitting the virus: enclosed environments with poor air circulation and a high density of people.

And if someone tests positive, the place will have to close for a while for contact tracing and deep cleaning. Doing that repeatedly isn’t financially viable either.

I just can’t see nightclubs and many pubs operating again in a profitable fashion until this is over. Same goes for things like music venues.

Thoughts?

In my clubbing days it was all hugging my mates, sharing drinks, hugging when our fave songs came on and snogging random strangers. No social distancing there. These places just couldn’t work nowadays and make a profit if social distancing was in place. Are they going to do temperature checks on the door or throw out anyone who sneezes?!!

@rookiemere Don't suppose yours was in Nottingham?!

I think there's a limit to how long young people will consider the greater good, to be honest. Covid19 has a very small chance of seriously hurting them and there will come a point, I think probably soon, when they'll think the risk is worth taking, especially since the risk is to someone else, not them.

Essentially it's happening already. The vast majority of fines for breaking lockdown have been to males aged 15-24.

Ah, sorry, I see it was Edinburgh! I bet there were quite a lot of sweaty nightclubs in the 1990s...

DH and I are enthusiastic pub goers and our local pub is a big part of our community. We will however not be returning for a long time.
The conflict comes with supporting local businesses, but they are running a takeaway service which we have used at exorbitant expense on a couple of occasions.
I would be reasonably happy to use the pub garden but would leave if it became too busy.
Unfortunately despite living in a well off, well educated area I know several people who think social distancing is pointless, and I can only imagine that will be exacerbated once they get a few drinks inside them

@MarshaBradyo

One study showed in Japan heavy breathing was a factor so gyms, nightclubs etc were particular hot points. So that’s also a factor.

Singing too, I've read - there were several choirs where lots of people got sick after choir practice. So gigs and concerts with people singing along... sports too, I know football and rigby fans at least chant and sing.

"From the towns all inns have been driven; from the villages most... Change your hearts, or you will lose your inns, and you will deserve to have lost them. But when you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves - for you will have lost the last of England."

Hilaire Belloc, "From This and that on Inns", 1912