Why the curfew?

[MissPoldark]

I’m affected by a recently introduced local lockdown and was just wondering what the thinking was behind the 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants.
Personally, I couldn’t care much as I haven’t been out in the evening for the last few months so it makes no difference to me. But I really don’t understand how closing these places 1 hour earlier is going to improve the situation or reduce transmission. It mainly seems to have inconvenienced a lot of restaurants who’ve lost later bookings.
Surely people will just end up going out earlier to compensate?

It's not 1 hour earlier for a lot of places.

One main reason, drunk people don't socially distance. There was nothing enforceable before

There needs to be clear rules so they can be enforced if needed

No groups of more than 6

Places shut by 10

Makes sense to me...

Whether you like it or not is another matter

One main reason, drunk people don't socially distance.

But folk are still going to be drunk at 10pm! People will be going out earlier so that 8pm becomes the new 10pm.

Most pubs would have closed at 11, restaurants probably not much later than 10 anyway. Local takeaways are saying they’re not allowed to do collections after 10pm.

Whether you like it or not is another matter
As I say it makes no difference to me so I’m not complaining, just don’t understand the rationale.

I think it also reduces bar hopping. In Bolton the superspreder went to a number of bars in one night and infected some people in every one (same as the soul outbreak). If you limit opening hours there isn’t time for this so people only go to one bar in the night and therefore spread is limited to that one setting.

It'll end up with people wanting to continue drinking after 10pm with a shout of "everyone back to my house for drinks " loss of self control after those initial few drinks .

It does almost nothing but looks good as the government can boast they introduced a strict new curfew.

Curfews are proving quite effective in other countries, not sure why though. Perhaps they just
reduce the end of night sloppiness when people get really drunk and forget social distancing. I think they could be a good compromise .

Some people believe it's simply an agenda to make people behave better, think of the media pictures of large groups of binge drinkers at 2am brawling in the streets etc.

@collywobble

It'll end up with people wanting to continue drinking after 10pm with a shout of "everyone back to my house for drinks " loss of self control after those initial few drinks .

Well yes, unfortunately there probably will be some selfish irresponsible people who will spoil it for everyone.

It's about reducing opportunities for mixing, all the rules are intended to minimise risks while still keeping the economy going.

10pm will limit how drunk people get. Of course there will be some who just start earlier, but not quite as many.

I really want to yell at people who post that 'the virus doesn't come out after 10, or in shops.'

I can see that the intention was for people to stop drinking earlier and become less intoxicated. But I think a lot of people would just order more and drink faster.

Belgium introduced similar and it seems, so far, to have worked pretty well so seems a sensible measure. Of course there are some cultural differences, and a different mix of measures, so whether itll have such an impact here remains to be seen.

I read somewhere that people are less likely to go out if they know they have to finish at 10. I can believe it for pubs maybe but not restaurants. I'm not a late eater though.

A ten o'clock curfew will result in fewer people being drunk and therefore reduce the transmission.

Yes, some people will start earlier but not all will.

These measures are about reducing, not preventing, transmission.