Will you go for a pint when restrictions are lifted?

Bronco Lane

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I like an occasional pint of Guinness. When the pubs reopen I think I would like the bar person to serve me my pint wearing some sort of surgical mask. I would be concerned that all glasses have been washed in a dishwasher rather than a quick rinse in cold water. While my pint is "resting", I think that I would like my pint to rest away from the counter.

We know that we can pick up the Covid from droplets in your eyes, nose and mouth. Is it possible to ingest it through drinking cold liquids?
 
Ingesting it via food seems low risk... probably the surface of the glass is more risky, especially as it will have condensation on it.
Be careful not to use your 'pint hand' for anything else.

Even if the staff are wearing masks, your fellow customers won't be and you'll be sitting there for sufficient time to generate a 'close contact' unless the venue is large enough to keep 2 metres distance between all customer groups.
Important to ensure there's no gathering of people near any common area such as the bar or doorways - would probably have to be table service only because you don't want every customer to be going to that same spot.
If one of them sneezes or coughs you could breathe that in.
Then there's shared toilets, which are usually a small poorly ventilated space, would take long time for droplets to disperse there.

I thought about returning to restaurant if restrictions are eased, where I could eat outside, but usually the toilet facilities are small and buried at the back of the restaurant or down stairs etc
 
It's very hard to see how bars will operate.

It will be table service only. No standing.
They will have to create booths with plexiglass to keep groups apart.

A large work group going for a session on Friday after work will not work.

The capacity will be a lot lower. It might be necessary to book a table for a pint. And that would be very hard to manage. Would you book a table/booth from 6 pm to 8 pm. It would be very difficult to get the group out at 8 pm for the next booking.

Brendan
 
The Sun has a good article on it and how many people will be able to fit in the most popular pubs under the new rules. The Dawson Lounge is too small for even one customer apparently.


This is what the publicans have proposed

  • Bars will become dispense bars only with no sitting, standing, ordering, payment or drinking at the bar allowed.
  • Table service will be a requirement with pubs only serving customers seated at tables.
  • The numbers on the premises would be confined to no more than four per every 10 square metres.
  • A maximum of six people would be permitted at any one table.
  • Customers will be required to use hand sanitiser upon entry.
  • All customers must remain seated.
  • Staff will be fully trained in the new procedures. They will also be asked to maintain a safe distance from customers when taking orders and to wash their hands thoroughly every 30 minutes.
  • The utilisation of outdoor spaces to enhance social distancing.
  • Procedures implemented to ensure safe use of toilet facilities, which may include limits on the numbers using toilets at any one time.
  • No live music or DJs.
  • Gardai/HSE will have the power to close any business who is flouting the public health guidelines.
 
It would be very hard to enforce.

Imagine the huge queues out on the street in Temple Bar!

Will people be allowed have a smoke outside?

Brendan
 
Could we not all do a version of speed dating in pubs and keep moving seats so none of us are longer than 10 minutes beside the same people and therefore not in close contact!!

Sitting at the bar having a pint is one of life's simple pleasures. Not sure I will return if I cant to that to be honest. It just sounds stressful.
 
Maintaining social distancing is one thing.

Barpersons / servers filling and handling pints, then cash, then collecting empty glasses, cleaning tables etc, can’t see how it could be done without substantial risk to both staff and customer.

I miss my pint, but I think everyone's safety has to come first. I will go back when I think it is safe to do so, which I don’t think will be soon.

Until then, 500ml cans of draught Guinness from the home fridge will have to do.
 
Maintaining social distancing is one thing.

Barpersons / servers filling and handling pints, then cash, then collecting empty glasses, cleaning tables etc, can’t see how it could be done without substantial risk to both staff and customer.

I miss my pint, but I think everyone's safety has to come first. I will go back when I think it is safe to do so, which I don’t think will be soon.

Until then, 500ml cans of draught Guinness from the home fridge will have to do.
Best way to pour your Guinness
 
I will be back, can’t see it happening before 10th August though.
It’s almost 2 months now since I sat on my stool with a pint.
Even when they do open I won’t be allowed to sit at the bar.
Difficult times.

Des.
 
I caught the end of a report on BBC Radio 4 this morning about social distancing in pubs in Sweden.

Some people observe it but a lot of people are not. Pubs are being fined and closed down. But the publican say that they are finding it very hard to enforce the rules.

My gut feeling is that the Swedes are more law abiding than the Irish so what chance would Irish pubs have of obeying the rules?

Brendan
 
I have observed table service where the lounge person bringing the pints to my table, hold the glass at the rim when transferring the pint to my table. On more than one occasion I could taste the perfume or hand cream that was on the person's hand from the rim of my glass. We have all had the glass with the lipstick stain on it also.
I would just be concerned that the person bringing back the empties to the bar would carry them in the same way, transferring God knows what to their fingers.
 

I hope there will some of my favourite pubs left to reopen. The article above shows the importance of pubs for Ireland and the challenges they are facing.
 
Cant wait to have a nice creamy pint of guinness, hopefully as Merowig says hopefully as many of my favourites will be open.
 
Having lived over a pub and worked in it for a substantial part of my life, I understand the difficulties that pub owners are facing.

I can’t wait to have an opportunity to have a drink with friends, albeit in a safe environment.

In general, I would be looking for pubs that held high standards of hygiene previously. Clean bars, clean toilets and large outdoor spaces that were well managed for smokers.

Marion
 
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I think late june is achievable and this proposal should be taken seriously, alot of other countries are opening earlier so we can learn from them. We have to get serious about getting the country back to normality and having some balance in the discussion. The cost of this corona virus shutdown is enormous and any effort to shorten it should be encouraged. We are going to be paying for this for many years to come and it is the 20 and 30 year olds that will ultimately pay for most of it not the 50 and 60 year olds as they will be retired on pensions when the cost of the enormous debt will really hit if interest rates go back up again.
 
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I haven't had a pint in Kehoes for months. If the cost of me getting back on that barstool is a few thousand dead old people then so be it! ;)
 
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