NOW IT’S DRY SEPTEMBER
Pubs to stay shut as the growing number of Covid cases in hospitals brings fears of another lockdown... and 265,000 jobs are now at risk
‘WET’ pubs are to stay shut as health chiefs warn that the number of Covid cases in hospital are growing.
NPHET has said it is ‘not appropriate’ that they reopen on Monday, as had been hoped, with the threat of a lockdown looming as the country’s infection rate is now running at an alarming 33 per every 100,000 people.
However, fears are growing among small local publicans in an industry that directly employs more than 90,000 people and indirectly employs 175,000, mostly in rural Ireland.
And 60% of pubs have been closed for more than five months, while many believe they won’t be opened again until next year.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Ronan
Glynn said: ‘In the context of schools opening and the number of cases in hospital beginning to rise, it’s not the time to open pubs.’
While the Government has yet to say if it will follow the advice on pubs, it is likely it will as health chiefs warned yesterday that they will have to see a significant drop in cases before they recommend easing any restrictions.
Publicans say they have endured the longest lockdown in the EU during the past five months. They were initially due to reopen on June 29, but that was pushed back to August 31, amid a worrying escalation of the virus. There are now fears that, with no new date set for a review, it could be next year before they are allowed to reopen.
Dr Glynn told yesterday’s health briefing: ‘Our focus has to be getting case numbers down, controlling the spread of the disease. The next time we will consider easing measures is in two weeks’ time, we need to see the effect of the measures put in last week. We have considered pubs but considering [the status of the disease] we didn’t feel it would be appropriate to recommend reopening next week.’
State experts tracking the spread of the disease said in one pub-restaurant recently there were 26 cases, leading to a further ten incidences in another workplace.
The statistician advising the Government, Professor Philip Nolan, said: ‘We cannot have a national party in two or three weeks’ time.
‘For the long haul we are going to have to enjoy ourselves in small groups, carefully distancing ourselves from other small groups.’
NPHET is also recommending maintaining restrictions on lockeddown Co. Kildare.
The spread of coronavirus has changed nationally from a small number of large clusters to around 250 outbreaks in private households, due to the normal interaction between families, officials tracking the disease said. Another 93 new cases were confirmed yesterday with the country’s infection rate now at 33 per 100,000 people.
NPHET has said in the past that the evidence from other countries shows that outbreaks of the virus begin to emerge once the traditional pub setting is reinstated.
Dr Glynn said: ‘We are aware of the impact this is having on small family businesses across the country. We want pubs to reopen in a safe way but for the last number of weeks, since the end of June, we have seen a slow and steady deterioration of this disease. Through August we have seen very significant clusters. Unfortunately there’s not been an opportunity to open up what is recognised as one of the most highrisk areas . ‘In the context of the schools reopening and the number of cases in hospital beginning to rise, it’s not the time to open pubs. There are many things different to other countries, we have an entirely different capacity in our healthcare system.
‘We simply can’t have everything with a pandemic, we can have our education system open, our health system, address our backlogs in the HSE, the HSE is working to address those, we want to have sport, we want people to be able to go to pubs and socialise but right now is not the moment.
‘It’s been described as a tipping point. I hope it’s not. Today is not the day to reopen pubs, it would be an entirely different message than we are imploring of millions of people out there.’
Pubs that serve food comprise 40% of the country’s hostelries. The remaining 60% stayed closed for more than five months.
The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI), which represents more than 14,000 drinks and hospitality businesses, warned last night that ‘hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs’ will be lost unless the Government intervenes.
It has called for a support package and a reduction in excise tax in Budget 2021 as data shows Irish pubs and bars have endured the longest lockdown in the EU.
A DIGI spokesman told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘Among EU member states, only Romania has kept its indoor bars shut, though owners have been allowed to serve patrons outdoors since June.’
He said: ‘There is growing fear among publicans that their businesses will remain closed until 2021.’ The drinks industry directly employs more than 90,000 people
and indirectly upwards of 175,000, the majority in rural Ireland.
DIGI chairwoman Rosemary Garth, who is also director of communications and corporate affairs at Irish Distillers, said: ‘Irish pubs are generally small businesses with modest revenues. Ninety per cent of pubs are located outside of Dublin, where they provide a place for their local communities.’
However, a spokesman for Alcohol Action Ireland said: ‘It is public health alcohol policy to reduce the level of alcohol use not encourage it; the Government cannot contemplate reducing excise duties on alcohol when, as the Alcohol Action process survey demonstrates, alcohol is exceptionally affordable across the retail off-trade market.’