Table 1. COVID-19 lockdown regulations affecting the on-trade in England, Scotland, and Wales during 2020.
| Date | England | Scotland | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 March | National lockdown measures implemented. All non-essential high street businesses were closed. People were ordered to stay home, leaving for essential purposes only. | ||
| 4 July | Lockdown regulations relaxed, pubs and restaurants permitted to reopen. | ||
| 13 July | Pubs and restaurants permitted to reopen. | ||
| 15 July | Pubs and restaurants permitted to reopen. | ||
| 3 August | Month-long "Eat Out to Help Out" scheme begins, with government subsidized meals at indoor venues. | ||
| 24 September | New regulations prohibit pubs and restaurants from operating between 22:00 and 05:00. | New regulations prohibit pubs and restaurants from operating between 22:00 and 05:00. | |
| 9 October | Pubs and restaurants in some areas closed. Licensed premises in other areas opened for outdoor service only. Cafes could open but not sell alcohol. | ||
| 14 October | Regional 3 Tier system introduced1. In Tiers 1 & 2 hospitality businesses were required to close at 22.00. In Tier 3, pubs and restaurants could also only serve alcohol with a “substantial meal”. | ||
| 23 October | "Short, sharp" national lockdown implemented, pubs, and restaurants closed. | ||
| 2 November | 5 Level Protection Measures (0–4) introduced2. Levels 0, 1 & 2, pubs and restaurants could open with time restrictions; Level 3 alcohol on-sales permitted; Level 4 pubs and restaurants were closed. | ||
| 5 November | National restrictions reintroduced, pubs and restaurants closed although food and drink sales for consumption at home permitted. | ||
| 9 November | National lockdown ended, pubs and restaurants reopen. | ||
| 2 December | 3 Tier system reintroduced | ||
| 19 December | New Tier 4 introduced3 requiring pubs and restaurants to close, although food and drink sales for consumption at home permitted. | ||
| 25 December | Restrictions relaxed for Christmas Day to allow people to mix indoors and travel more freely. | ||
| 26 December | Majority of UK moves into Tier/Level 4 restrictions. | ||
1Tier regulations in England: Tier 1 = Local COVID alert level medium; Tier 2 = Local COVID alert level high; Tier 3 = Local COVID alert level very high. https://tinyurl.com/3jr2765v.
2Protection measure levels in Scotland: Level 0 = lowest; Level 4 = highest, https://tinyurl.com/2f8kku56.
3Tier 4 = “Stay at home” highest alert, https://tinyurl.com/rdafk5bk.