How pubs could look after lockdown with outside food stalls, plastic screens and limits on drinks

This includes ensuring the NHS isn’t overwhelmed and the rate of infection decreasing to manageable levels.

Pubs have been shut since the UK went into lockdown on March 23.

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, says she is working with the government on developing guidelines for when pubs reopen.

If establishments can’t reopen before September, the BBPA estimates as many as 40 per cent of the UK's 47,000 pubs could go under.

Ms McClarkin told The Sun: "Social distancing measures provide significant challenges for the pub and there will be many pubs that won't be able to do two metres, purely because of their layout of their pub.

"Pubs are the original social network, where people go to meet and connect, and they provide a huge enormous social value to our communities.

"They are part of our culture here in the UK, and feature in the top three things a tourist wants to do here, so it would be sad to see some of our greatest assets disappear."

Contactless ordering using apps

The boss of Greene King pubs has said how customers could order pints from their mobile phones while in pub gardens when their local reopens.

Chief executive Nick Mackenzie shared his vision in an interview with earlier this month.

There has been no official confirmation from the pub chain about if this will go ahead, or when.

Staff wear masks and gloves

If pubs follow in the footsteps of other establishments that have already reopened doors, you'll see your local barman wearing a face mask.

Staff could also be made to wear gloves when pouring your pint.

Hand sanitiser for all

Businesses that have been allowed to stay open have introduced hand sanitiser stations to help keep customers safe.

It could be possible that you'll see similar hand sanitiser stations appear at the entrance of pubs.

Social distancing signage

Like other reopened businesses, you could find social distance signs and markers in your local boozer.

There will also be no standing at bars, under a new vision set out by Oakman Inns & Restaurants owner Peter Borg-Neal.

Mr Borg-Neal has been testing out how the reopening of his pubs will work, starting with a prototype at the Betsy Wynne in Swansea.

A sign in at the Betsy Wynne reads: "Table service only.

"Please order your drinks at your table or using our smartphone app."

Here's what happened when The Sun went for a pint at the Betsy Wynne.

Oakman Inns & Restaurants owns 28 pubs across the UK.

Less furniture

As we're being encouraged to keep a distance, there may also be fewer tables than usual in order to keep customers spaced out.

This will enable customers to keep away from each other while enjoying their food and pub grub.

Capacity monitoring

Most shops that have been allowed to stay open during the coronavirus crisis are limiting the number of people allowed inside at one time.

It's possible you could see the same measures at your local pub, along with one-way systems put in place.

This could mean you may face queuing to get inside.

Tables set apart to allow 1m distancing

In Austria, restaurants have been allowed to reopen as long as they can maintain a one metre distance between customers.

If UK pubs follow the same rules, this could mean tables are marked out to follow this spacing.

Cashless payment

If your local pub doesn't have an app to order drinks and food, it may ask you to pay via contactless or card payments if possible.

This is what the majority of UK businesses are currently asking customers to do.

Single use menus

The Sun also found customers could use single-use menus when we went for a drink at the Betsy Wynne.

This would mean customers aren't having to ask other punters to borrow their menu, plus they won't need to worry about who has touched their menu before them.

Table screens

The Sun also saw customers separated from other punters by the use of plastic screens to divide booths at the Betsy Wynne.

However, this is likely only to work in large pubs with beer gardens, says CEO Mr Borg-Neal.

Surface cleaning every 15 minutes

Most UK businesses have upped their cleaning schedule to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

For pubs, this could include tables and bars being wiped down more often.

One way flow system past bar with 'in' door and 'out' door

If pubs follow other establishments, it could mean you'll see one-way systems in place when you next visit your local.

This could include doors being used for entrances and exits only.

Beer gardens first to open with 1m distancing

Greene King CEO Mr Mackenzie said pub gardens could be the first to reopen, with customers ordering pints from their mobile phones.

This would work by punters ordering from the free Greene King app, in order to maintain social distancing.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has previously hinted that establishments with outdoor areas may be allowed to reopen.

Mr Hancock told Sky News: "There is strong evidence that outdoors the spread is much, much lower, so there may be workarounds that some businesses, for instance cafes, especially over the summer, may be able to put into place."

Outside market-style food stalls

Pubs could be able to sell pints and food from market-style outdoor stalls.

reports how ministers are drawing up plans to relax outdoor seating licences within weeks.

This could include allowing "blanket permission" for businesses to sell goods from outdoor areas.

For venues without a licence, business owners would need to pay £300 to allow them to do this.

Again, there has been no set confirmation on when this could potentially come info force, or how it would work in reality.

Limits on drinks

An alcohol limit could be used to help pubs control crowds and how long punters spend inside, Professor Eyal Winter told The Sun.

This would therefore help keep workers and customers safe by minimising the amount of people that gather at one time, he said.

Professor Winter, a government adviser, said his suggestion would be a short-term measure that could aid pubs in reopening sooner.

He said: "The pub industry has suffered from the crisis and we have to think about a way of speeding up the opening of pubs again. This suggestion could help them open quicker.

"Pubs tend to be very crowded. If you impose a limit on the number of people, you’re going to have lines building up outside, so that won’t be enough."

Customers are also more likely to follow social distancing rules if they are sober enough, he said.

Professor Winter added: ";You have to be sober enough and alert enough to follow the rules. Too much alcohol could get in the way of being alert.

"Lastly, this is something that will turn out to be serious, when we start to open up pubs, violence will increase.

"Reducing the amount of alcohol will have a positive effect on this."

Professor Winter stopped short of saying how many drinks customers could be limited to, and said a rationing wouldn't be a long-term measure.

Again, there has been no official line from the government about whether any sort of alcohol limit will be enforced.

Boris Johnson has laid out the "first careful steps" of easing the coronavirus lockdown as part of a three-phase plan to get back to normal life.

In an address to the nation he revealed a detailed roadmap of how to get Britain back on its feet, but still keep the deadly virus under control.

The Prime Minister has also changed his coronavirus slogan from "stay home" to "stay alert".