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First look inside Wetherspoon pubs redesigned with coronavirus safety measures
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AS Brits dream of their first beer inside a pub, Wetherspoon is hard at work upgrading its boozers so they are ready to reopen next week.
The Sun has had a first look inside one of the chain's pubs after it revealed it social distancing plans.
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Wetherspoon plans to reopen 750 pubs on July 4 after Boris Johnson gave the green light this week, but you unlike other boozers you can't currently book tables in advance.
We went to The Mossy Well in Muswell Hill, north London, where Eddie Gershon, press officer for the chain, explained how social distancing measures will work .
The pub has been kitted out with screens, posters and floor markings to help demonstrate how Wetherspoon will reopen its boozers.
Signs outside and on exterior doors help staff communicate with customers how they need to queue in order to stop a build-up of people.
Tables have been spaced out or screens put up in between them in order to allow customers to keep safe.
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'Spoons will also put stickers on the furniture to remind drinkers not to move tables.
There will be separate exits and entrances. Welcome signs will give further guidance to customers, including asking them to only visit pubs if they feel well.
Perspex screens have been fitted at tills and customers will be encouraged to pay using the Wetherspoon app, meaning they can get table service.
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But punters can still pay at tills using cash if they want to.
Mr Gershon said: "We do have the advantage of our pubs tending to be on average 4,000 square foot in customer space and 75 per cent of our pubs have beer gardens, roof terraces or outside areas.
"We appreciate that our pubs will have to have less people in line with how many we are allowed to have here but because they are slightly larger we probably aren't as badly hit as others are."
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Mr Gershon also confirmed that Wetherspoon plans to keep its opening hours the same.
Hand sanitisers will be positioned on walls for staff and customers to use.
Our video shows inside kitchens where there are floor markings to show staff where to stand so they remain two meters apart.
Wetherspoon's menus have been replaced with disposable ones, which can be thrown away after use.
The chain has, however, confirmed it will offer a slightly reduced menu to help with social distancing measures.
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Bottles of condiments, including ketchup and mayonaise, have been replaced with single-use sachets.
Staff will be given the option to wear PPE and face temperature checks will take place before they begin shifts.
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Mr Gershon said: "We are also issuing all bar and kitchen staff with PPE.
"The government has not said whether they have to wear them so we've bought millions of pounds worth of equipment and that's part of the initial £11million investment.
"We will wait for government guidelines on whether staff have to use it or they can choose to wear it - but it will be there as and when pubs open."
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Mr Gershon added that that the pub chain is doing a lot but that it needs to rely on "people being sensible as well".
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Pubs were previously told by the government they will be one of the last business to reopen when lockdown rules are relaxed.
The government is relaxing the social distancing rules from two metres to one metre so more boozers can open up.
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