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FAST food lovers will soon be able to get their hands on a Big Mac and potato chips after ministers said McDonald’s drive-thrus could reopen during the coronavirus crash.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said the chain’s push was “made” for social distancing as Britain prepares for another three weeks to close.
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Eustice said it was “quite possible” for take-out restaurants to operate safely amid the pandemic during the daily coronavirus briefing.
He said: “A McDonald’s drive-through is made for the social distancing situation we find ourselves in.”
It occurs when the fast-food giant has already drawn up plans to reopen 15 branches for delivery orders.
McDonald’s temporarily closed all 1,350 restaurants on March 23 due to the coronavirus blockade.
Before closing, the company had kept branches open for takeout orders.
He had taken steps such as using masking tape to mark the social distance boxes on the floor and to close the seats and children’s play areas.
When asked if the fast food outlets could have remained open, Eustice said: “While clearly the restaurants and pubs had to close, we were very interested in maintaining that capacity to be able to bring takeout to people.”
He suggested a reduced footprint in urban centers, staff anxiety and a sense of what was “socially acceptable” given that the message of staying home had led to places like the closure of McDonald’s and KFC.
Mr. Eustice continued: “I think it is very possible that these places will be safely reopened and reopened, we never demanded that they close.”
“We have learned a lot from supermarkets and other food outlets about how you can do social distancing and do it well.
“I think some of those takeout companies will probably seek to learn lessons from what supermarkets have done, as they consider the tentative reopening.”
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Maccies has not yet said when more restaurants will open, but said it is working “very hard” to get more locations up and running.
The branches that will reopen on May 13 will be on reduced hours, with a reduced menu, less staff and will only accept orders through UberEats and JustEat.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s in other countries has begun reopening, and customers in New Zealand have seen queuing for miles after midnight after the blocking rules were lifted.
France saw McDonald’s junkies queuing for up to three hours when a handful of restaurants reopened their take-out meals last week.
Other fast food restaurants in the UK are also reopening, such as KFC, Burger King and Five Guys,
Giant queues of cars were seen when the fried chicken chain opened 55 restaurants to drive.
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The Eustice report came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce the easing of some closure measures on Sunday.
He said: “[The PM] will effectively establish a roadmap of how we can evolve our constraints at this time.
“There will be no dramatic change overnight.”
Johnson is expected to set a timetable for the reopening of Britain, but any changes to the rules are believed to be “small steps.”
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Meanwhile, Britain is poised for a sunny holiday weekend amid fears it could spark widespread disregard for the blockade.
Eustice called on the British to continue in their homes and said it is “vitally important” that the public follow the guidelines.
The death toll in Britain rose to more than 31,000 today, as 626 people, including a six-week-old baby, were killed by the virus.
Dominic Raab reminded the British that the coronavirus “is not expired,” said it remains “deadly and infectious,” but added that the UK has “passed the peak.”
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