Urgent - can two households still mix in restaurants?

[buttery81]

I just read that London is going into tier two lockdown from midnight tomorrow, which means no households mixing indoors.

My question is, can two households still mix in a restaurant or pub? Just asking because my brother and SIL were due to come to my house for lunch on Saturday with my nephew, which is no longer allowed. Could we book a restaurant instead?

It's a bit silly if we can as presumably it puts us all at more risk, but if it's a way around the rules then we will do it!

You can only meet outside in tier 2
We are going for a walk and 'picnic' probably with wellies, raincoats, a thermos and sandwiches sat on the back of the car with grandparents on the weekend

There are already Covid wardens doing spot checks in restaurants & pub/food premises. Apparently they are paid volunteers.

How much do you want to bet that it's the Covid wardens who spread the virus from group to group and pub to pub while checking ID?

How much do you want to bet that it's the Covid wardens who spread the virus from group to group and pub to pub while checking ID?

So true!

@MessAllOver

Why don't you go to the same restaurant/pub, sit at different tables at different ends, set up a Zoom/Teams meeting on a laptop/tablet between the tables and then go for a nice walk afterwards !

My friend actually did that recently. 😁 She and two friends wanted to go for lunch, but the rules were, before they were tightened (NI), only two from the same household could share a table. They booked two tables beside each other and had a lovely time.

All these very very clever people getting round the rules

If you set the screens up right at the end of the table, you could make it look like one big table.

@PractisingPerson. How does having lunch together over Zoom increase the risk for anyone?

@pontypridd

No, you should only socialise in pubs/cafes/restaurants with members of your own household.

Are many people going to do this? Now I see why businesses are f*cked.

Yes - perfectly happy to eat out with just my family. Bored of being at home. Still in a level 1 area though.

Businesses are fucked I think though - people in level2 won't want to eat out because of the risk or won't eat out because they can't do it with someone else.

or just shout

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I'm afraid this is also not adviseable:

"Pubs and restaurants should keep music at a low volume to avoid people needing to shout, which increases the risk of transmission from tiny droplets in the air, known as aerosols."
www.bbc.com/news/uk-53161280

[quote MessAllOver]@PractisingPerson. How does having lunch together over Zoom increase the risk for anyone?[/quote]
But people were talking about booking separate tables next to each other in restaurants I understood? Why would you need a laptop for the next door table?

No, you can't. Welcome to what the rest of us outside of London have been dealing with for longer.

London isn't immune to COVID

No, you can't. Welcome to what the rest of us outside of London have been dealing with for longer.

The rest of us? There are other parts of England besides London and the north you know!

@PracticingPerson. Well, it's perfectly fine for two households to book a table per household in a restaurant so long as they don't physically mix (shouting included).

Nope. We have been unable to mix households inside or outside for months now, you just have to eat on with it.

In our local high street pubs / restaurants the police were doing covid checks last weekend, e.g. looking at the booking contact details, how many to a table.

get not eat, stupid autocorrect

Never heard of a covid warden....doubt they have any powers. I would go ahead and meet your family. The rules are laughable

Paid volunteers is an interesting idea.

Every person looking for a way around the rules risks spreading covid. That means more restrictions, problems accessing healthcare - that could be your nephew next week - and your nephew will certainly be paying for this for years.

You can see your brother on a socially distanced walk without doing that.

But people were talking about booking separate tables next to each other in restaurants I understood? Why would you need a laptop for the next door table?

Yes, next.to.each.other. What has that to do with breaking rules or All these very very clever people getting round the rules. They were working completely and honestly, within the rules. They didn’t lie about living together or try to trick staff. They followed the rules in a very smart and safe way, so what’s wrong with that?

In terms of how they will enforce it, I just had a call from my local pub where I've booked a table for the weekend and I was specifically asked whether everyone booked was from the same household. Don't know if anyone has already said this but pubs & restaurants are at risk of being fined £10k (first offence) if they are found to be allowing different households to be seated together.

[quote MessAllOver]@PracticingPerson. Well, it's perfectly fine for two households to book a table per household in a restaurant so long as they don't physically mix (shouting included).[/quote]
I cba to argue at length, but they'll not behave the way two separate households would, as they'll converse.

Droplets and aerosols behave differently.

It's a way around the rules which is just pissing me off tbh.

How will they enforce it though?

They won't. They are relying on you to enforce your own rules. Are you going to?

I'm supposed to be seeing DD1 and my grandsons in their home on Sunday - only 5 of us in one house and I'd be driving there. After only two meetings together this year after lockdown ended I am so upset to be missing out on their childhood. I'm the one at risk of illhealth, not them, as am not mixing otherwise at all. Really bad for my mental health.