LONDON – Under pressure from critics over the economic and social costs of its coronavirus ban, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will bring a drastic, second, national lockdown to England next weekend.
But under a new set of rules announced on Thursday, which divides England into three types of sanctions, access to bars and restaurants will vary from place to place, depending on the government’s assessment of the local threat posed by the virus.
And that means more than 23 million people who live in very restrictive levels still face restrictions on one of the country’s pro-activities: visiting the pub. The ban will not only disappoint supporters, but also deprive the surrounding hospitality sector of a serious income in the Christmas section when pubs and restrooms usually overflow.
With the holiday season approaching, Mr. Johnson had a difficult balance of ways to get out of the lockdown in a way that is neither so strict that many fail to comply, or so irresponsible that he could get out of the virus. Control.
Opinion polls generally show that Britain supports austerity measures and prefers health to economy. And the risk to health remains real.
The daily number of Covid-19 cases is declining and now stands at around 17,500, with about 500 deaths announced in the recent 24-hour period, for which data is available.
Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Backbench’s influential 1922 committee of legislators, told the BBC that the political reaction to the new pub rules was quick, when he would vote against the three-tier plan when it goes to parliament next week for approval. Previous government sanctions have been approved despite the revolt of some Tory legislators.
“I have intense reservations at many different levels,” Mr. Brady said. “I think the policies have been very dictatorial. I think they have interfered in people’s private and personal lives in a way that is unacceptable. “
In announcing a closer inspection of the rules after the lockout on Thursday, the government said it plans to allow customers ordering food to drink alcohol in the second of three levels, including London and Liverpool. This concession, however, will restrict the ability of many pubs to operate profitably, their owners say.
But in large parts of the country, including other major cities such as Manchester and Birmingham, the government wants stricter sanctions to be imposed, with pubs and restaurants tightly closed when the national lockdown ends on December 2.
In these high-risk areas, only exit service will be allowed.
Nick McKenzie, chief executive of Green King’s pub chain, said that despite 99 percent of the country being in two or three levels, there are names for almost all pubs during this year’s most important trading month, but all are lockdowns.
“This puts hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk and casts even more doubt on the future of British pubs for years to come,” he said. May – in the so-called first level.
Less than one million people in the south of England will live in areas under mild curbs where bars and restaurants can function relatively normally, while more than 55 million people live in the other two tiers.
But beyond the world of pub and rest restaurants rent, the end of the lockdown will make a difference as, even in the most affected parts of England, stores, gyms and hairdressers have been allowed to reopen, and religious services, weddings and outdoor sports have been allowed to resume. . . Retailers will have the opportunity to open during the exciting Christmas shopping season.
This week Mr Johnson also announced plans to relax the rules of social mixing to allow as many as three homes to gather to celebrate Christmas from December 22-27, but health experts warn that this will increase the risk of infection.
But large parts of the country that have gone into national lockdown with light restrictions this month will be moved to levels with stricter restrictions after December, and will question whether the government’s lockdown has worked.
Conservative MLA Damien Green wrote on Twitter that he was “deeply disappointed” that the whole of Kent, some of which he represents, has been placed on three levels.
“We were in the tier before the downdown so what got the lockdown?” He asked.
In a news conference, Mr. Johnson argued that strict restrictions are important to control the spread of the infection. “If we make things easier now, we will lose control of the virus again, we will have a hard-fought victory and we will have to return to the national lockdown in the new year,” he said.
He added that if the government wanted to keep schools open, as it wanted, its options to reduce social contact were limited.
Some critics believe tires fail to adequately account for local variations in regions, while others worry that some of the poorest areas will be hit the hardest.
Downing Street on Thursday denied that London and the surrounding south-east had escaped the most difficult sanctions because of its economic importance.
But the announcement threatens to accuse the country of suffering more from sanctions than the North-South – a damaging claim for the government that was elected with the support of many Northern voters who have traditionally sided with the opposition Labor Party.
Other critics had more basic objections. Steve Baker, the influential backbench Conservative legislator, was harsh in his criticism, saying: “The dictatorship that works today is truly amazing.”
Speaking of the hospitality sector, he believes that many pubs will no longer be able to survive the winter.
The argument, signed by Pub0 Pub and the brewing business and sent to Mr. Johnson, argued that he had been “singled out for exceptionally harsh and unreasonable treatment.”
“A huge chunk of these most British people in the institutions just won’t be there until the government changes course,” he said.
