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Boris Johnson’s plans to impose a 10pm curfew in pubs and restaurants have been described as a “devastating blow” to the hotel industry.
The new measures will take effect from Thursday across England amid concerns that social distancing rules are not being followed late at night.
But Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality’s CEO, has argued that this approach will make it more difficult to control the spread of the coronavirus, pointing to government data suggesting that only 5% of infections are related to hospitality venues.
She said: “These restrictions will be another crushing blow to many hotel companies struggling to recover, so it is crucial that these new rules are applied flexibly.
“A difficult shutdown is bad for business and bad for controlling the virus – we need to allow time for people to disperse for a longer period.”
Ms. Nicholls also claimed that similar measures applied at local closures have failed to reduce infection rates and “simply damaged businesses and cost jobs.”
He is now calling for a support package aimed at the hotel sector and said the government must “recognize that this will further damage confidence” and cause the sector to struggle over the next year.
“We need to see an early sign that the VAT cut will be extended until the end of 2021, that the holiday from commercial rates will continue next year and an improved employment support package specifically for hospitality,” he added.
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The Institute of Economic Affairs has also criticized the plans, which will also ban people from ordering at the bar.
The right-wing think tank’s director of lifestyle economics Christopher Snowdon said: “While compulsory table service has been part of the successful Swedish approach and may have merit, the new closing time will be devastating for a sector of the hospitality that was already suffering the first confinement.
“The government should publish the evidence on which this decision was based.”
Johnson is set to deliver a television address to the nation tonight, revealing a series of new measures to address the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases.
