AIBU to be shocked that this isn't common knowledge?

[DameFanny]

If you go to the pub, or a restaurant, you're not supposed to mix households, or be outside your bubble.

I thought this was all pretty clear - you distance from anyone not in your bubble. 2 metres, or 1 metre with screens, masks or something similar.

And I haven't bothered with the pub or whatever because what's the fun in waving at people from behind a screen. But that's not what people are doing is it? They're sharing tables with friends and getting Covid. Even though it's illegal, and the pub/restaurant can be closed down for it.

I thought the people going out were mostly just eating in a different set of walls with their household - or the posturing mask debaters who tell us it's just a sniffle - but I was honestly shocked on another thread that this isn't common knowledge. How many people are breaking the law?

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery

@Hardbackwriter

This. The government must realise that people are not clear on this aspect of the guidance- it's obvious to anybody who's walked past a café, pub or restaurant. But there have been no clarifications or reminders about it. I think it is indeed a 'fudged' rule - a bit like the sneaky 'where possible' line in the schools guidance, which basically absolves anyone from having to follow the guidance.

There are very few pubs that can survive entirely on the business from people from people attending in households. The government has no interest in mounting a 'you shouldn't go to the pub with your friend' campaign because it'll kill an already very shaky industry.

Yes. This is all very true (and thank god really, people didn't click on that it was 'against the rules', or knew and didn't care, because hospitality would be totally gone now otherwise..)

But they also want to be able to say 'well we did TELL you. You all ignored us. Public, business owners, everyone. Look, it WAS RIGHT THERE!!!!!'

Yet another purposeful fudge.

I agree that it's a fudge. Particularly handy one now as it means that there doesn't seem to have even been any discussion about extra support for pubs and restaurants in tier 2 because technically they're under the same restricted circumstances as before, except everyone knows they're not.

I mean you are wrong . But don’t let that stop u been all judgemental will you

Particularly handy one now as it means that there doesn't seem to have even been any discussion about extra support for pubs and restaurants in tier 2 because technically they're under the same restricted circumstances as before, except everyone knows they're not.

Ah shit, yeah you are right. I didn't think of that.

Worked out well for the government eh..

The issue of east air ants and bars were one of the reasons why the 2m rule was relaxed to 1m+

Wearing a mask is not the only form of mitigation which counts.

Washing hands and not being face to face is mitigation.

Many tables are 1m wide

East air ants???

Clearly should be restaurants!

It depends where you are in the country.
I am in tier 2, so not allowed indoors, I assume we could be outside in the pub garden though.

But how many people don't turn to face the person they're speaking to? At which point that mitigation collapses, leaving you a metre away in a closed space for more than 15 minutes - all the things you're not supposed to do

Tier 3 here. Pubs are doing everything from free food to microwave meals to sharing platters to get around the food/drink rules
FB comments full of people tagging their mates and "we should go"
Yeah, you're not in the same household
Tier 3 is working great(!)

There's also the difference between guidance and law, two very different things.

Our local pub where we have meals have really wide tables and some really big circular ones. You can manage 1m+ easily on those.

For many people they are willing to take the mitigation (not face to face, lots of anti bac and washing hands, masks when moving, etc) to be able to see family and friends a

The only place I have close contact without SD, outside my household, is work where it's constant - and most likely where I picked Covid up in the past week or so.

DameFanny - people surely know it increases their risk and they are willing to take the chance. They are not acting wrongly. They are taking a calculated risk within the law. You don't have to take the same risk.

I'm sorry to hear that @aragog - hope you're better soon

Besides which it's only a risk if the people you are with actually have Covid.

But majestic - I don't think people do know that. There's been an assumption that if there's fewer than 6 people it's somehow safe. Maybe it's an attitude of 'we wouldn't be allowed to do it if it weren't right', even though lots of places aren't following guidance and discouraging multiple households from being to close

Now I’m confused

I thought if you were in a Tier 1 area, you could meet other households at home and in the pub as long as ther were only 6 of you.

I’m tier 2 and avoiding pubs etc anyway because of the quarantine risk.

You seem very certain that you know what the mindset of people going to the pub in non-household groups is. Weirdly certain, since apparently you didn't even know anyone was doing this until today. No one thinks it's safer to sit next to someone in the pub than anywhere else. They just don't think that sitting next to someone is as big a risk as you want them to.

Acorn you can.

You can meet other households but only while you're still keeping your distance.

@Hardbackwriter

You seem very certain that you know what the mindset of people going to the pub in non-household groups is. Weirdly certain, since apparently you didn't even know anyone was doing this until today. No one thinks it's safer to sit next to someone in the pub than anywhere else. They just don't think that sitting next to someone is as big a risk as you want them to.

I'm basing this on comments on this and other threads

You can go to the pub or a restaurant with up to 6 people. Lots of people have and do.

Yes. At a distance.

Frankly you need to run your postcode through the BBC covid restriction tool as every part of the country is different.in Edinburgh there are many restrictions, but we can still meet as 6 people (not including kids under 12), from two households in a cafe (restaurants are shut for now.

Frankly it is all getting too complicated. Regular people not always watching or reading local news won’t know.

@Treesofwood

Acorn you can.

Thanks

In that case I don’t understand the OP.

Sorry, it’s been a long day!

There's been an assumption that if there's fewer than 6 people it's somehow safe

I don’t think anyone thinks it’s “safe” if by safe you mean zero chance of contracting covid. People think it’s legal and worth the risk.

I go to the pub with three symptomless people. I sit next to 1 and a little over a metre away from those opposite me. The back doors are open so there is good ventilation. If each person has a 1 in 4000 chance of being infected with Covid. Then I have a 3 in 4000 chance of catching the disease. (Actually less as even if they have it I only have a 50% chance of catching it)
If I catch it from one of my well friends I then have a 6 in 1000 chance of dying of it (actually much less as I'm under 50)
So I have a 24 in 4 million (6 in 1million or 0.0006%) chance of dying because I went to the pub.
I choose to take that chance.