酔っ払いはソーシャル・ディスタンシングができない、英警察

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英警察は5日、ロンドンの繁華街ソーホー地区でようやく営業を再開したパブに詰めかけた酔客らについて、酔っ払いはソーシャル・ディスタンシング（対人距離の確保）ができない、する気がないことを「明々白々に」示したと述べた。（写真はソーホー地区で、人混みをかきわけて進もうとする車）
　イングランドの接客業は４日、新型コロナウイルス対策として休業してから３か月ぶりに営業を再開。パブやレストラン、理容店などの営業再開が認められた。メディアはこの日を「スーパーサタデー」「独立記念日」などと呼んだ。
　ボリス・ジョンソン首相は３日、接客業の営業再開日を、より混乱が少なくすんだ可能性のある６日月曜日でなく４日土曜日と決めた理由について問われ、どちらでも大差ないと答えていた。
　一方、英国警察組合のジョン・アプター委員長は、自身の勤務は「裸の男たちや、浮かれた酔っ払い、怒った酔っ払い、けんか、さらに怒った酔っ払い」への対応で終わったと語った。
　アプター氏はロンドンのラジオ局に対し、「明々白々なのは、酔っ払いはソーシャル・ディスタンシングができない、する気がないということだ」と述べた。
　アプター氏は、自身が属するイングランド南部サウサンプトンの警察署は「何とか対処した」と述べる一方、「他の地域では警察官が攻撃される問題が起きたと把握している」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/07/07-13:08）

Britain's police said Sunday that revellers who packed London's Soho district the night pubs finally reopened made it crystal clear that drunk people cannot socially distance.
England's hospitality sector sprung back to life after a three-month coronavirus hiatus on what the media dubbed as either Super Saturday or Independence Day.
Pubs and restaurants were allowed to start seating clients and barbers could get their clippers out for the first time since March.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced queries about why he decided to schedule the grand reopening for a Saturday instead of a potentially less chaotic Monday.
Johnson said Friday that it would not have made much of a difference either way.
But the head of Britain's police federation said he ended up dealing with naked men, happy drunks, angry drunks, fights and more angry drunks while on shift.
What was crystal clear is that drunk people can't/won't socially distance, John Apter told London radio.
He said his own police department in the southern city of Southampton managed to cope.
I know other areas have had issues with officers being assaulted, Apter said.
A scan of police reports from Saturday night showed a similar level of mischief-making across England.
Officers in the southwestern Devon and Cornwall region had logged up nearly 1,000 reports of drink-related disorder and anti-social behaviour by late Saturday.
There were also reports of illegal raves in London and the northeast that resulted in mass arrests as well as disorder in the north Midlands.
Pubs in Wales and Scotland will partially reopen by mid-July while those in Ireland have had table service since Friday.
- Government on defensive -
Britain's lockdown lasted longer and ended later than in most European countries because of a soaring death toll that is now the world's third highest.
The official fatality figure is around 44,000 and one in which COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate is higher than 50,000.
Either measure makes Britain's toll Europe's worst.
A safe reopening that averts the need for second lockdowns over large areas is seen as vital to Johnson's long-term success.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the government's decision-making and played down any immediate safety concerns.
From what I've seen, although there's some pictures to the contrary, very, very largely people have acted responsibly, Hancock told Sky News.
So overall I'm pleased with what happened yesterday. It was really good to see people out and about and largely, very largely social distancing.
Johnson's government re-shuttered stores in the central city of Leicester last week because of a local infections spike.
The outbreak has been traced to local food and garment producers that reportedly failed to observe social distancing measures and violated other rules.
The National Crime Agency launched an investigation after The Sunday Times reported one of the factories operated a sweatshop that paid illegally low wages.
The agency said officers had attended a number of business premises in Leicester area to assess concerns of modern slavery and human trafficking.
No charges have been brought to date.