UK police said Sunday that revelers crowded London’s Soho district, the nightclubs that eventually reopened, made “crystal clear” drunk people unable to distance themselves socially.
England’s hospitality sector came to life after a three-month hiatus for the coronavirus on what the media called “Super Saturday” or “Independence Day.”
Bars and restaurants were allowed to start seating customers, and barbers were able to pull out their trimmers for the first time since March.
For the most part, people seemed to abide by the rules and were happy for Saturday’s opportunity to raise a glass in the company of their friends. But in some places, large crowds expressed concern about the deadliest outbreak in Europe that can find fresh legs.
Chris Newell, a 33-year-old messenger, traveled to trendy Shoreditch in East London to see friends.
“As long as everyone keeps their distance, we’ll have a few drinks and just enjoy ourselves and try to get back to normal,” he said.
Bars and restaurants were allowed to start serving customers for the first time since March [Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced questions about why he decided to schedule the grand reopening for a Saturday rather than a potentially less chaotic Monday.
Johnson said Friday that it would not have made much difference in any way.
But the head of the UK police federation said he ended up dealing with “naked men, happy drunkards, angry drunkards, fights and more angry drunkards” during the shift.
“What was crystal clear was that drunk people cannot / do not distance themselves socially,” John Apter told London radio.
He said his own police department in the southern city of Southampton “managed to cope.”
“I know that other areas have had issues with officer assault,” Apter said.
An analysis of police reports on Saturday night showed a level of mischief across England.
Officers in the southwestern Devon and Cornwall region had recorded nearly 1,000 reports of “drinking-related disorder and antisocial behavior” as of late Saturday.
There were also reports of illegal raves in London and the Northeast that resulted in mass arrests and disorder in the North Midlands.
Pubs in Wales and Scotland will partially reopen in mid-July, while pubs in Ireland resumed table service on Friday.
The reopening of bars and restaurants was allowed for the first time in more than three months. [Frank Augstein/AP Photo]
Too soon?
Some fear that the British government will be too hasty, even reckless, in sanctioning the changes. The confirmed figure for deaths from the UK virus of 44,198 is the third highest in the world, behind the United States and Brazil. The reopening of bars and restaurants in the US and elsewhere has been attributed to an increase in new infections.
David King, a former chief scientific adviser to the British government, criticized the latest easing of the bull run. He said the strategy seemed to be “maintaining” the current level of around 3,000 new coronavirus infections per day across England to open up sectors of the economy.
“We need to look at the fastest route out of COVID-19 and that is not the current route, and that also means a better economic recovery,” he told Sky News.
The four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are moving at different speeds of the coronavirus blockade. Restrictions in England, with a population of about 56 million, have been lifted more frequently, raising concerns that Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being unduly influenced by the desire to boost the UK’s struggling economy.
Government defends response
A safe reopening that avoids the need for second blocks in large areas is considered vital to Johnson’s long-term success.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended government decision-making and downplayed any immediate safety concerns.
“From what I’ve seen, although there are some images that say otherwise, to a large extent people have acted responsibly,” Hancock told Sky News.
“So overall, I’m happy with what happened yesterday. It was really good to see people outside and, to a large extent, largely social distancing.”
The Johnson government relocated stores in the central city of Leicester last week due to an increase in local infections.
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