Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined a five point plan to “restore freedoms” from this month at a Downing Street press conference last night (5 July).
Measures including the rule of six, social distancing and mandated table service will be scrapped this month.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, welcomed the shift from legal requirements “to an onus on personal and business responsibilities” and called for bosses to have autonomy.
“Venues will need autonomy to act according to their own risk assessments, without local authority gold-plating, and a workable test and trace system that doesn’t demand blanket self-isolation like the test to remain-style system, to ensure that we can both protect our staff but trade with sufficient teams,” she said.
The sector has been “at the forefront of developing and implementing” Covid safety measures and would continue to, Nicholls added.
Profitable trading
Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King, welcomed the “possibility of profitable trading for the first time since March last year” from 19 July.
Mackenzie called on the Government to support the sector with business rates and duty reform and to tackle short term issues around recruitment.
He added: “We can’t wait to get back to doing what we do best and give our customers the great pub experience they so love and make the most of the remaining summer so we can start getting back to being a thriving industry. Only then can we rebuild and reinvest, supporting jobs and the wider UK economy when it is needed most.”
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) welcomed the end of restrictions for the trade but lamented the lack of official confirmation that nightclubs will be able to reopen on 19 July.
Reopening notice
NTIA CEO Michael Kill said: “As we commented at the time of the last decision on restrictions, one week is simply not enough time for businesses to plan to reopen – and it betrays the sense that the Government doesn't understand what it takes to reopen a businesses after over a year without trading.”
Step four of the Government’s unlocking roadmap will be given the greenlight on Monday 12 July, providing the four tests for easing lockdown restrictions are met as expected.
Kill added: “To hear the Prime Minister say that we need to learn to live with this virus is a long overdue step, and will be a relief to our sector.
"It is difficult to overstate the significance of the impact the pandemic has had on this industry. The Government’s support package has been important but insufficient. After 479 days closed, we now need that counter set to zero so we can start to rebuild.”