Rishi Sunak drops huge hint that two-metre social distancing rule will be dropped next week

Kit Heren20 June 2020

Rishi Sunak has dropped a huge hint that the UK's two metre rule to help prevent the spread of coronavirus will be dropped after a review next week in a bid to "kick-start" the economy.

The Chancellor told reporters that the review into reducing the distance people are supposed to keep between each other would make "an enormous difference" to businesses "who are keen to see a change".

He added: “Obviously we need to go through that review but I’m very understanding of the calls for action on that, particularly for our hospitality industry, for our pubs, for our restaurants, (they) are keen to see if there’s some change that can be made there.”

Mr Sunak said progress made in slowing the spread of coronavirus means the Government can begin to “kick-start our economy”, adding that this “starts with our high streets”.

A woman walks past a temporarily closed pub on June 19, 2020 in London, England
Getty Images

The two-metre rule means hospitality businesses like restaurants, pubs and bars would only be allowed to serve a much smaller proportion of their usual capacity once they can reopen their doors.

This would further affect the bottom lines of businesses that have already been hit hard by coronavirus lockdown.

The UK's two metre rule is larger than guidelines in other countries. China, Denmark, France and others only tell people to keep one metre apart, while the US says 1.8 metres is the right distance.

The World Health Organisation recommends a social distancing rule of at least one metre.

The rules are based on a study from the 1930s, which shows that liquid droplets from coughs and sneezes tend to travel between one and two metres.

AFP via Getty Images

Mr Sunak's comments come after Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted at a school visit on Friday that the two-metre rule could be relaxed, telling reporters to "watch this space".

And Sage member Professor Calum Semple told the BBC's Today Programme that dropping the rule would be "reasonable".

He said: "It's my thinking in my professional opinion, rather than a Sage opinion, science is rarely clear cut.

"Two metres is safer than one metre, but when the absolute numbers throughout the country are sustained and low that's when people can afford to take the difficult decisions to start opening up society...

A sign telling people to keep two metres apart
PA

"I'm still saying that two metres is safer than one, but in my opinions it is now a reasonable political decision to relax these rules."

The UK reduced the coronavirus threat level from four to three on Friday, and plans to reopen hospitality businesses are reportedly being considered, including a rule that pub customers should order drinks on an app rather than going to the bar.

UK Hospitality trade body chief executive Kate Nicholls told the Today programme that individual businesses would draw up their own plans.

She said: “As the guidelines cover from a burger van in a park right the way through to the Fat Duck in Bray you need to have something that takes account of everything in between rather than a one-size-fits-all.”

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