LONDON 2 Aug (ANA) - Punters flocked to pubs and beer gardens yesterday as the UK experienced its third hottest day on record, making it difficult for many to stick to social distancing guidelines. Large groups of drinkers were pictured chatting outside without maintaining a distance of at least one metre. Sunseekers also filled beaches in Brighton and Bournemouth to the point where authorities told people to ‘head home’ and tried to stop more visitors from pouring in. It comes after the Government delayed plans to reopen bowling alleys, ice skating rinks and casinos this weekend for at least another two weeks. As fears of a second wave mount, Downing Street also said wedding receptions of up to 30 people would no longer be allowed. 

The contagion of coronavirus is rising, with one in 1,500 people having the disease, compared to one in 1,800 on July 15 and one in 2,000 on July 2. The Office for National Statistics estimate there are now 4,900 new infections every day compared to 3,000 on July 14 and 2,000 at the end of June. 

In a bid to tackle soaring cases in certain hotspots, the Government has imposed new lockdown measures in large parts of the North West. The rules affecting an estimated 4.5 million people mean people from separate households will no longer be able to meet indoors. Individual households will still be able to go to pubs and restaurants but they should not socialise with others, the Department of Health said. However Boris Johnson has warned that if cases worsen boozers could be forced to close again in the autumn.(ANA)

FA/ANA/2 August 2020------