Brigg pubs, bars and even sit-down restaurants will have to close at 10pm this weekend to comply with tighter restrictions imposed by the government to tackle a national rise in Coronavirus cases. 'Table service' is also mandatory - meaning no more trips to bars (even with protective perspex screens) to request top ups. Masks will have to be worn when entering premises until people sit down, and put on again if customers leave to visit the toilets or go elsewhere within the building.
It will be interesting to see what time 'last orders' are called and how much 'drinking up time' is permitted, using an historic term not mentioned often these days.
Will customers have to be off the premises, with doors closed, at 10pm?
These factors will become clear in Brigg over the weekend.
It could be that police visit some premises ahead of 'drinking up time' with one eye on the clock. Licensing was taken away from the police some years ago and passed to local authorities (in our case, North Lincolnshire Council).
Police forces are required to enforce some Covid-related emergency measures across the UK, while other are assigned to councils. In certain areas, it seems, they both have jurisdiction.
Many local pub-goers have a sense of relief that at least the bars have been permitted to stay open - unlike the period from late March to early July when closure was enforced by the government.
It seems likely that a good many customers will just visit local licensed premises earlier than they usually do; therefore, the amount of time they spend drinking in a socially-distanced manner in local bars will remain pretty much the same as it's been since early July when the government permitted pubs to reopen.
Shops and stores holding off-licences must also stop selling beer, wine and spirits at 10pm. We think this might be an unfortunate price the stores are being made to pay to avoid potential drinking on the streets or in parks by groups after 10pm, having bought cans or bottles of booze for this purpose.
