Quote:
Originally Posted by Toy Soldier
There is persistent and increasing evidence that people in a pub environment allow essential things like social distancing and hand hygiene to slip once alcohol starts to come into the equation, and we also know that staff are powerless to enforce compliance. We can keep ignoring that and pretending that this is not the case, that there's no difference between pubs and bars and other places where precautions can be taken, but it would take a lot to convince me that it isn't largely cognitive dissonance from people who don't want it to be the case. It's not that non-essential retail, or cafes, theatres, museums are more worthwhile than pubs but the question is "worthwhile vs risk". If people were getting too relaxed, letting their guard down, getting physically close and forgetting to wash their hands after three pints at the museum then yes that would be a problem too but it isn't the case. It IS the case in pubs whether people like that or not. It is the case whether you and your friends are being careful or not. A large enough proportion of patrons are letting the protective measures slip and that's enough.
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I would say it's been fairly isolated, yes there's been outbreaks around a few pubs just as there's been outbreaks around lots of settings but nationwide the pubs have been open for over a month now and cases are at the same level they were when they opened even allowing for the small rise recently which is just as much to do with increased targeted testing as it is a genuine rise in community transmission. If you're saying that schools and pubs can't both exist without there being a big rise in cases across the whole country then there needs to be evidence for that but most studies I've seen have said that reopening schools does not lead to a notable increase in the transmission of the virus and that local lockdowns can tackle any rise successfully