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Boris Johnson was drawing up plans Wednesday night to impose strict restrictions on northern England pubs and restaurants when the Treasury finalized a new coronavirus support package for the affected hotel industry.
The prime minister was expected to follow Scotland’s lead and announce new lockdown restrictions to curb rising infection rates in northern areas, including Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s prime minister, on Wednesday introduced new closures and restrictions on pubs and restaurants in the country’s densely populated central belt for 16 days starting Friday.
Sturgeon said licensed non-hotel locations in an area like Edinburgh and Glasgow would have to close, while cafes that do not sell alcohol will close at 6pm.
But while rising rates of coronavirus infection in northern England needed to be addressed immediately, government officials said London and other less-affected regions were not yet in line for radical new restrictions.
A decision by senior ministers to tighten restrictions on the northern England hotel sector is expected by the weekend and could take effect on Monday.
The ministers are also putting the final touches on a three-tier alert system under which areas will face different kinds of restrictions: first-tier hotels and some other companies with close social contact would close.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock hinted at the government’s thinking when he said: “Outside your home and socializing between homes, the highest place in the incidence of probable transmission, measured by where people have contacts, is unfortunately the hospitality. Now, obviously, that finding is not good news in terms of the political action we have to take for that sector. “
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is expected to focus his latest support package on businesses such as pubs and restaurants that were forced to close, or partially close, due to new restrictions.
The announcement of new limits on business hours for Scottish pubs and bars came shortly after Greene King, which runs more than 2,700 pubs across the UK, said it planned to close 79 of its sites, of which a third it would be permanently closed.
In the UK, 14,162 coronavirus cases were reported on Wednesday and 508 patients were admitted to hospital, the highest number since early June.
Charlie Bean, a member of the policymaking committee for the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, said the resurgence of Covid-19 cases would likely undermine the strong recovery in the economy since the summer, when UK production rose by 25. % below pre-pandemic levels to about 10 percent below.
“Certainly it can be expected that with a higher risk of contracting the virus, consumers will be more cautious about going to restaurants, bars, shops, even if they are open. So I think it is reasonable to suggest that there will be a pause in recovery, ”said Sir Charlie.
The new Scottish measures caused distress in the hotel industry. “[It’s] devastating for an industry that has gone to great lengths to provide a safe environment from Covid and keep its team employed. ” tweeted celebrity chef and restaurateur Nick Nairn.
Sturgeon justified the ban on pubs serving alcohol, saying that drunkenness could “affect people’s willingness to physically distance themselves.” He added that the measure eliminated “one of the key opportunities for the virus to move from one home to another.”
The prime minister promised £ 40 million in government support for the affected companies but, under pressure from opposition politicians for details, said this would be resolved in the next few days.
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce accused the Scottish government of a “complete and utter lack of consultation with businesses” on measures that would threaten jobs.
“These measures will sound the coup de grace for companies in the hospitality sector, especially pubs and bars,” said Liz Cameron, SCC’s CEO.
Sturgeon said that while the prevalence of the coronavirus in Scotland was only around 13 percent of its peak level in March, the number of infections was growing by about 7 percent per day and “without action” would likely return to peak levels for a The end of this month.
Additional reporting by Alice Hancock, Chris Giles and Jasmine Cameron-Chileshe in London
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