Whether or not you’re a regular pub-goer, the resumption of indoor drinking on May 17 was a major milestone on the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. Most of our pubs are now open again and that tells us a lot about the progress we’ve made in suppressing the pandemic.

The mood of celebration, though, is mingling uncomfortably with concerns about a resurgence of the virus, thanks to the spread of the variant that was first identified in India and the many people who have yet to be vaccinated.

This is a dangerous moment, and both pubs and their customers have a big part to play in trying to make sure we negotiate reopening as safely as possible.

At least we have the experience of last summer’s unlocking and the then strange experience for pub regulars of being required to register their details, order at table and follow social distancing rules.

Most pubs rose admirably to the challenge, many adding protective screens and one-way systems. On the tables, pints mingled with bottles of hand sanitiser and some went so far as to check the temperature of customers at the door. The new cleaning regimes will hopefully become a good habit.

The government’s guidance on safe reopening is, in fact, 64 pages long. But it’s important to remember these are not just a set of boring rules. Behind them are people trying to do the best job they can.

Pub staff have come through more than a year of uncertainty about their jobs as Covid-19 policies have twisted and turned. They have been trained in unfamiliar ways of working and taken on the difficult responsibility for making sure customers behave safely.

Unite, the union which represents hospitality staff, has issued a plea for pub-goers to respect the people behind the bar and waiting tables, but perhaps we can go further than that.

As pub customers we have our part to play in making sure our trip to the local is safe, as well as fun. And in the end we are on the same side as pub staff. The survival of our pubs is by no means secured. While social distancing lasts, most will find it hard to turn a profit. Getting through the next few weeks will be crucial.

Along with that pint, the future of the pub is in your hands.

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