As expected, prime minister Boris Johnson has announced new restrictions to hospitality premises from this Thursday.
Photograph: Kamal H. licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
He said all pubs, bars, and restaurants must operate table service only, except for take-aways. Together with all hospitality venues, they must close at 10pm.
“To help the police to enforce this rule, I am afraid that means, alas, closing, and not just calling for last orders,” said Mr Johnson. “Simplicity is paramount.”
He added: “I am sorry this will hurt many businesses just getting back on their feet, but we must act to stop the virus from being transmitted in bars and restaurants.”
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) described the curfew as an arbitrary restriction that unfairly targets the hospitality sector and will have a devastating impact on pubs, jobs and local communities.
Chief executive, Tom Stainer, said: “For the third time in a week, CAMRA is calling for the government to publish the evidence that pubs or restaurants are the source of more transmissions than other sectors across the country. If they aren’t, then why are they being singled out for nationwide restrictions?
“This is punishing the thousands of responsible publicans across England who are providing a covid-secure environment for their communities, while already operating at greatly reduced levels in their efforts to keep their customers safe.
“Make no mistake about this — without a proper financial support package, communities will lose their local forever, people will lose their jobs, and publicans their livelihoods. This can only be avoided if the government acts now to re-introduce the furlough scheme for hospitality venues, extend the business rates holiday for another year, take steps to resolve the rent crisis facing the sector and drastically cut draught beer duty.”
UKHospitality said job losses and business failures would be inevitable unless the government delivered an immediate support package for hospitality.
‘A curfew is particularly heartbreaking for those pubs in areas where infection rates remain under control’
Chief executive, Kate Nichollas, said: “These restrictions are a further, potentially fatal, blow for many hospitality businesses. In isolation, they may appear moderate, but the cumulative effect is going to be hugely damaging. Consumer confidence is going to take another hit and we cannot hope to recover while confidence remains low.
“The shift back towards working from home is going to hit city centre hospitality very hard. These businesses have already lagged behind as office workers and tourists have stayed away, and they are going to take another battering.
“Most disheartening is the announcement that they are potentially in place for six months. Lots of businesses will not survive this and we are going to see more and more people lose their jobs unless we have the support to counterbalance these restrictions.
“The government must immediately announce an exhaustive package of financial support, otherwise our sector is facing ruin. Employment support must be extended. The furlough scheme is already winding down and it comes to a complete halt at the end of October. Unless it is extended for our sector, businesses are inevitably going to have to make staff redundant. We are looking at a steady stream of job losses for six months, otherwise.
“We also must have longer-term support to enable businesses to rebuild in 2021. The VAT cut for the sector must be extended as must the business rates holiday. We also need a rent-debt settlement package, otherwise whole businesses are going to go under with widespread redundancies.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “A curfew is particularly heartbreaking for those pubs in areas where infection rates remain under control.
“There seems to be little available evidence that pubs, with their strict adherence to government guidelines, are unsafe, so we are unsure that this blanket measure will make a major difference. Removing a key trading hour on top of fragile consumer confidence and the reduced capacity pubs already face will put thousands more pubs and jobs at risk.”
