Foodservice outlets are set to be allowed to serve outside from 12 April at the earliest and then fully reopen no earlier than 17 May, following Boris Johnson’s latest government announcement in which he put forward a road map for the country to come out of lockdown.
The Prime Minister outlined the plans in a national address, with all schools reopening in 8 March and up to six people or two households allowed to meet outdoors from 29 March.
The gap between each stage of restrictions will be five weeks, with four conditions needing to be met at each phase:
1.The coronavirus vaccine programme continues to go to plan
2.Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently reducing the number of people dying with the virus or needing hospital treatment
3.Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospital admissions
4.New variants of the virus do not fundamentally change the risk of lifting restrictions
This news comes as a blow to foodservice wholesalers, with the FWD recently launching a petition asking the government to grant bespoke financial support.
