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Coronavirus: McDonald's reopening 900 Drive-Thrus

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND  - MAY 30: A sign is seen for McDonald's in Southampton which also has a Drive Thru on May 30, 2020 in Southampton, England. The British government continues to ease the coronavirus lockdown by announcing schools will open to reception year pupils plus years one and six from June 1st. Open-air markets and car showrooms can also open from the same date.  (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
McDonald's plans to reopen all 924 of its Drive-Thrus by 4 June. (Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

McDonald's (MCD) is in the process of reopening all its UK Drive-Thru restaurants after having closed all outlets in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The fast food firm plans to reopen all 924 of its Drive-Thrus by 4 June. It had already opened 38 restaurants in May.

Last week, the chain reopened 33 Drive-Thru sites but the company said it decided to close some lanes where demand “impacted local communities or the safety of our people or customers” due to long queues.

The company said on Twitter that 168 Drive-Thrus across the UK would be open from 11am on Tuesday, with a further 22 restaurants open for delivery.

McDonald’s also plans to expand its delivery options to 75 of its branches through Uber Eats or Just Eat.

READ MORE: Burger King, KFC, and Pret A Manger start to reopen

The fast food chain said it would announce the reopening of each site only hours before operations resume to help to control demand, and it is working with local authorities and the police over openings.

McDonald’s said it is implementing a number of health and safety measures including checking workers’ temperatures on arrival at work with contactless thermometers, perspex screens in key locations in the kitchen and service areas, protective equipment including gloves and and face masks for customer and courier facing staff, and additional training on cleanliness practices, including increased handwashing and extra sanitising of touch points.

The reopened Drive-Thrus will also have fewer people in the kitchen and service areas and serve a limited menu over reduced hours. Customers are also asked to cap orders at £25 and use contactless payment methods to reduce queues and maintain customer safety.

McDonald’s advised customers that things “will look a little different and may take a little longer” as the chain anticipates dealing with high demand while adjusting to the new practices.

Paul Pomroy, the chain’s CEO for the UK and Ireland said: “We are asking all of our employees to adapt to how our restaurants now work, and will only reopen at a pace that enables them to work safely.

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“As we get accustomed to the new processes and procedures, we will look to reopen more restaurants, for longer hours and reintroduce more menu items. But only when I am confident we can do so whilst maintaining the new procedures we have introduced for the protection of our people.

“Learning from our initial phases, we will start to return to towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.”

McDonalds posted a link for customers to find the nearest open Drive-Thru on Twitter.