London: Pubs, bars reopen; social distancing is out the window

LONDON: People flock to pubs and restaurants as COVID-19 lockdown measures are eased in United Kingdom for the first time since it was implemented.
Nearly 35,000 pubs and bars trading in England are set to finally welcome back customers within COVID-19 secure settings after they shut down on March 23 with the UK going into lockdown.
Making the most of Super Saturday, many revellers abandon social distancing guidance and filled the streets of London.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged people to act “safely and sensibly” as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are set to ease up further.  Emergency service chiefs have also appealed to pub-goers to behave responsibly this weekend amid fears of large crowds swarming to public venues.
The ease up of lockdown rules comes days after a local lockdown was imposed in Leicester, a heavily Indian-origin region in eastern England, because of a spike in coronavirus cases.