Coronavirus: Can you still buy alcohol after the new 10pm pub curfew?

New closing times for pubs, bars and restaurants have come into force

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Just two months after pubs and restaurants were allowed to reopen, new restrictions have come into force as the rate of infection from coronavius has risen across the UK.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced that from Thursday 24 September, pubs, cafes and restaurants are only allowed to operate in England up until 10pm at night.

Additionally, businesses in the hospitality sector will only be allowed to serve customers via table service, not at bars, for example.

“From Thursday all pubs bars and restaurants should operate table service only except for takeaways,” he said.

“Together with all hospitality venues, they should close at 10pm.”

The prime minister apologised to businesses “just getting back on their feet”, stating that “we must stop the virus being transmitted in bars and restaurants”.

Wales and Scotland have also tightened restrictions across the hospitality industry, with first minister Nicola Sturgeon barring pubs, restaurants and cafes from selling alcohol indoors for 16 days from Friday 9 October.

So, what does this mean for buying alcohol? Can you still buy drinks to takeaway after 10pm and does the curfew apply to supermarkets and off-licences? Here’s everything you need to know.

Can you buy alcohol from pubs in England after 10pm?

No. During his speech at the House of Commons, Mr Johnson confirmed that the strict curfew is going to be put in place across the hospitality industry, meaning all venues will be required by law to shut – not just last orders – by 10pm at the latest.

“To help the police enforce this rule I’m afraid that means, alas, closing and not just calling for last orders because simplicity is paramount,” he said.

If pubs, bars and restaurants are caught breaking the law, they could be fined £10,000 and forced to close down.

In Scotland, Ms Sturgeon recently ordered the closure of all licensed pubs, bars and restaurants for two weeks in large parts of Scotland, with a 6pm curfew on indoor dining in other areas.

The new rules mean that all licensed premises in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley health board areas – covering the whole of the populous central belt area, including capital Edinburgh – will be closed for both indoor and outdoor operations.

In the rest of the country, indoor hospitality venues will be allowed to operate only between 6am and 6pm daily and will be barred from selling alcoholic drinks.

Outdoor bars, restaurants and cafes outside the five health board areas will still be allowed to remain open up until 10pm and will be allowed to sell alcohol up to that time.

Can you still buy alcohol in shops?

The rules regarding buying alcohol in stores after the curfew vary across the UK.

While people across many parts of the nation can purchase alcohol from shops after 10pm, dependent on the licensing legislation in each local authority, the rules in Scotland and Wales are different.

In Scotland, alcohol is not sold in shops from 10pm until 10am the next morning.

And, as part of its latest restrictions, Wales has placed a ban on off-licences and supermarkets from selling alcohol after the same cut-off time.

Addressing the nation, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “In the weeks and months ahead of us, there is a very real possibility that we could see the virus regain a foothold in our local communities, towns and cities.

“Now none of us wants to see that happen again. 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year. We have all sacrificed so much.

“Families have lost loved ones. People have lost jobs and livelihoods. This is a highly infectious virus. We cannot let it take a hold of our lives again. We have come too far to let that happen.”

Can I buy alcohol through a food delivery service?

Mr Johnson stated that takeaways are included in the order to close at 10pm. However, deliveries are still allowed between 10pm and 5am.

This means while customers cannot collect goods to takeaway after 10pm, they can get it delivered to their home.

“There will be a legal requirement for the hospitality sector to operate with table service,” he said. ”The same [10pm closure rules] will apply to takeaways but deliveries can continue thereafter.”

Popular food delivery services like Deliveroo and Uber Eats, which also offer the option to buy alcohol through local shops, have confirmed that they will continue to run after the curfew.

“Our amazing customers will still be able to order their favourite takeaways, groceries and essentials from the Deliveroo app, even after 10pm,” a Deliveroo spokesperson said.

“We are here to deliver and ensure that people can get the food they need and also support their local restaurants during this pandemic.”

An Uber Eats spokesperson added: “The prime minister has clearly stated that delivery services will remain available, which means you can continue to order from your favourite restaurant via the Uber Eats app, even after 10pm.“

“So whether it is a late night coffee, an early morning pancake, or anything in between, we are here for you.”

Why is there a curfew?

The 10pm curfew comes after Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, issued a stark warning that, unless urgent action is taken to tackle the rise in coronavirus infections, there could be 50,000 new cases a day by mid-October and 200 deaths a day by mid-November.

The idea behind the restriction is to limit the amount of time people can consume alcohol in public areas, with the hope that it will prevent people from breaching social distancing rules while intoxicated.

When asked what impact the 10pm closing time would have, Michael Gove told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme that the government was aiming to strike “a balance”, which “takes account of human character”.

“The 10pm closing time is not the only measure the prime minister will be announcing later, it’s part of a package of measures, but the evidence is that social mixing can encourage the spread of the virus,” he said.

“The increase in the spread of the virus will, unchecked, lead to a greater level of hospitalisation and tragically a greater level of deaths.”