To think if you are in a tent, you are inside

[Ghostlyglow]

I'm as keen as anyone to go out again, and I understood that we had to be "outside" A few pubs/restaurants near us are saying they will have tents/marquees - ones with sides, when hospitality starts again. One is even advertising "pods" which are like igloos - again fully enclosed. What am I missing? And if it's OK, then why is it OK to be in a tent, but not in a building (socially distanced, of course)

They shouldn’t be. Gazebo-like structures with fully open sides, yes. Tents, no.

The pods at a building near me are hired by one household/bubble and only booked to them for the night.

A fully enclosed tent is almost as dangerous as an indoor room in terms of build up and trapping of infected aerosol from the people within it. There will be some ventilation where the walls meet the ground, but not much.
I wouldn’t risk it myself, and I’m surprised the venue concerned was allowed to go ahead.

I was also wondering about this. So many pubs and restaurants have marquees outside that can't fully count as 'outside' if they've got multiple tables inside them.

Yes, to the single glass single table igloos, but surely not for a marquee with 10? tables in.

I do feel for them, especially as a lot of the pubs and restaurants round here did all this in Autumn last year, but weren't ever really allowed to use them as they were closed most of the time due to Tier 3 or lockdown.

However, cases are mostly very low now and hopefully will continue to fall, so hopefully they can stay open and have a good spring/summer/autumn etc and even be in a good position come winter that we can all do things like go out for Christmas functions like normal.

I don't think it is allowed or safe.

A pub near us has wooden cabins (posh sheds). Even though they only sit 6, are outside and you can keep the door open for ventilation, they are classed as inside dining and they can't use them yet.

Pubs using pods, tents etc shouldn't be.

Yes I agree with this, lots of places around here are putting up marquees with big plastic sides full of tables, if anything they're probably worse than inside at they have virtually no ventilation at all!

Yes, a pub near me was advertising their "outdoor decking seating" which is a large deck built in the car park, plywood walls around three sides and a hard plastic roof. Filled with about ten picnic bench tables, each seating 6. Maybe not so bad if you're at the table nearest the opening, but in the middle or at the back you are virtually inside.
I haven't had my vaccine jab yet as I'm in my 40s, so I won't be going anywhere. But I'm not sure that set up appeals to me anyhow.