I'm absolutely amazed that so many people appear to understand the 2 metre rule!
Funny thing is, people seem to think 2m and act as if it means 3 or 4. Check it out next time you're in the supermarket queue. I was queuing to get in to B&Q at the weekend and couldn't help thinking that some of the people going there to buy a 2m length of timber might be coming out with more than they bargained for!
Adopting 1.5m would have been more reasonable, from a reopening standpoint. Think about it; in a space of length 6m you can fit 3 people / operatives at 2m spacing, but at 1.5 metres that increases to 5 people. All industrial sectors would be in a much better place when it comes to reopening profitably. Doesn't really apply to sitting in an aeroplane of course, but might help capacity management in terminals, bars, restaurants and other airport related retail. And with airport operators, retail = revenue.
Well you get it at least ATNotts. Bear in mind though that the 2m thing is not a linear measurement it's a radius. I haven't done the maths on reducing the distance to 1.5m (still with a 50% margin of error on WHO guidelines) but it doesn't take too much imagination to figure out that it would make airport terminals become more viable - and the hospitality sector in general.... or I could put it another way: it would bring the UK into line with competitor airports (and other businesses). 2m is economically damaging now, puts us at a competitive disadvantage in the recovery and worst of all is un-necessary.