Burger entrepreneur excited to reopen as lockdown eases on May 17

A burger entrepreneur whose café has grown in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic believes it will go from strength to strength when it reopens next week. 

Charlie Day has been operating ‘Charlie’s’ on Little Church Street in Wisbech as a takeaway service since he opened last November, but will fully reopen from Monday, May 17 as lockdown restrictions ease. 

“We have been compared to Five Guys and higher-end chains; it’s amazing,” Charlie said. 

“We’ll be open for sit-ins, have a more extensive menu and a new milkshake menu. 

“The return we’ve had is making us more confident in moving forward.” 

Here is what will be allowed from May 17 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on relaxing restrictions: 

What will be allowed indoors? 

Gatherings inside homes are to be permitted, with a limit of up to six people or two households. 

A return to indoor museums, cinemas, restaurants and pubs can also take place without any 10pm curfews. 

Pub-goers will be free to meet for a pint without having to buy a substantial meal, but they must order, eat and drink while seated. 

Social contact rules

People will be given an individual choice on whether to socially distance from close friends and family from different households, meaning loved ones will be allowed to hug for the first time in over a year.

But the Government is urging people to remain "cautious" about the risks that come with close personal contact.

Wider social-distancing rules will remain in place in adult social care, medical, retail, hospitality and business settings.

Outdoor activities 

People in England will be able to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people. 

Life events 

Up to 30 people will be able to join together to celebrate weddings, receptions, wakes and religious ceremonies like christenings. 

The Government will also lift the cap on the numbers attending funerals. 

Will performances and sporting events resume? 

Theatres and indoor sporting arenas will reopen, with a maximum capacity of 1,000 people. 

Outdoor arenas will be able to host live events with a maximum number of 4,000 attendees, or for large outdoor seated venues where crowds can be spread out, up to 10,000. 

Education and work 

All university students in England can return to campus next week, with those returning expected to get tested twice a week during the summer term. 

Face coverings for pupils will no longer be recommended in classrooms or in communal areas in secondary schools and colleges. 

Government guidance continues to advise employees to work from home where they can. 

Booking foreign holidays 

The current ban on overseas holidays will lift and there are green list countries Britons will be allowed to travel to without having to quarantine, providing they take one post-arrival test. 

Within England, all remaining accommodation including hotels, hostels and B&Bs can re-open, with domestic overnight stays allowed.