PM confirms pubs can open on 4 July with 1m distancing

The Prime Minister also said the Government will release guidance for pubs to follow upon reopening, which will be released later today (Tuesday 23 June).

However, he did lay out a few examples of how businesses can operate safely.

Guidance to come

Johnson said: "We are today (Tuesday 23 June), publishing guidance on how business can reduce the risk by taking certain steps to protect workers and customers and these include, for instance avoiding face-to-face seating by changing office layouts, reducing the number of people in enclosed spaces, improving ventilation, using protective screens and face coverings, closing non-essential social spaces, providing hand sanitiser, changing shift patterns so staff work in set teams.

"We will also reopen restaurants and pubs. All hospitality indoors will be limited to table service and our guidance will encourage minimum staff and customer contact."

Johnson mentioned businesses will be asked to help the NHS Test and Trace app by collecting data.

He added: "We will ask businesses to help NHS Test & Trace responds to any local outbreaks by collecting contact details from customers, as happens in other countries, and we will work with the sector to make this manageable."

Social distancing change

However, nightclubs will need to remain closed for now, the PM confirmed.

He also revealed a change in distancing measures.

"Given the significant fall in the prevalence of the virus we can change the two-metre social distancing rule from 4 July.

"I know this rule makes life impossible for large parts of our economy, even without other restrictions for example it prevents all but a fraction of our hospitality economy from operating.

"Where it is possible to keep two-metres apart people should but where it is not, we will advise people to keep a social distance of one-metre plus, meaning they should remain one-metre apart while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission."