The crisis is over, long gone, but the lunacy endures.

"Pub drinkers in some parts of England will be forced to wear masks even when outside from Monday, thanks to even stricter rules for reopening drawn up by some overzealous councils.

Landlords have been told they must enforce mask-wearing by their customers when they are walking around beer gardens, despite national guidance that only requires face coverings indoors.

Councils have set up enforcement teams that will patrol pubs looking for rule-breakers, and landlords fear they could face fines if their customers are caught.

The Government’s guidance says drinkers must wear masks if going inside a pub to use the toilets or to pay at the bar.

One notice from Ribble Valley Borough Council told pubs in Lancashire that “face coverings must be worn by customers, except when seated to eat or drink”.

Stosie Madi, owner of the Parkers Arms pub near Clitheroe, contacted the council to ask if the notice was a “misprint” and whether her customers needed masks outdoors.

A council official told her face coverings must be worn in her beer garden unless her customers are eating and drinking.

Ms Madi told The Telegraph: “You can go anywhere in this country outdoors and do whatever you're doing without a mask, so why on earth would you need to wear a mask outside in a pub?

“The council said they had set up a task force that will go around enforcing this. For me the worry is, what happens when a task force comes into my garden and sees a customer walking from his table and going to his car without a mask?

“What do they do? Are they going to turn around and penalise me in some way?”

Ribble Valley Borough Council did not respond to a request for comment."