LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - People in England appear to have
broadly behaved themselves as pubs reopened this weekend,
Britain's health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday after the
latest step towards a return to normality from the coronavirus
lockdown.
Thousands of people flocked to pubs, restaurants and bars
around England on Saturday as large parts of the hospitality
sector reopened for the first time since March.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to "enjoy
summer safely" as he bids to tread a narrow path of restoring
consumer spending to help battered businesses recover, while
avoiding a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Health minister Matt Hancock said he was satsified with how
the latest step to ease the lockdown had gone and played down
individual cases where social distancing guidelines were not
respected.
"From what I've seen, although there's some pictures to the
contrary, very very largely people have acted responsibly," he
told Sky News.
"Overall, I'm pleased with what happened yesterday. It was
really good to see people out and about, and largely socially
distancing."
Britain has been the European country worst hit by the
coronavirus and has an official death toll of 44,198.
The rule changes apply only to England as the devolved
nations in the United Kingdom have been setting their own
timetables for easing restrictions, with Wales and Scotland
easing restrictions more slowly.
Police Federation National Chair John Apter questioned
whether the idea of staying socially distanced was compatible
with excessive alcohol consumption.
"What was crystal clear is that drunk people can't/won't
socially distance," he said in a tweet after finishing a shift
in Southampton, south England.
"It was a busy night but the shift managed to cope."
(Reporting by Alistair Smout;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)