Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Opening time too late to save us A single Pfizer dose offers three quarters protection
Dire warning from pubs & restaurants
MANY pubs, cafes and restaurants will struggle to survive the wait until indoor venues can reopen, industry chiefs have warned.
Trade body Ukhospitality said firms in its sector are burning through £500million a month while closed.
Its chief executive Kate Nicholls said businesses are “obviously devastated” the reopening is so far off.
She added: “From the start of November, the sector will have been closed for nearly 200 days, with just a couple of weeks of heavily restricted trading in December.
“A major package of financial support is imperative if hospitality is to survive.”
The Government has announced the reopening of venues could begin on April 12 – but only outdoors at first.
It will be May 17 at the earliest that punters will be allowed indoors at pubs, cafes and restaurants.
The British Beer and Pub Association has warned that three in five pubs will probably not open in April, either because it will not be financially viable or they do not have outdoor areas.
Chief executive Emma Mcclarkin said: “It will cost our sector £1.5billion.”
Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortium said it is “encouraged” by the plan for non-essential shops to reopen from April 12 but “the heavy impact of the pandemic means some may never be able to”. It added lockdown has cost non-food stores more than £22bn.
The British Independent Retailers Association is “very disappointed nonessential shops will miss Easter”.
Here, we ask traders for their views on the roadmap out of lockdown…
A SINGLE Pfizer-biontech vaccine dose reduces hospitalisation and death rates by 75%, data has revealed.
A long-awaited analysis of vaccine efficacy by Public Health England found the Pfizer jab provides a high level of protection from the first dose – including against the Kent variant.
Early data from PHE’S SIREN study, which monitors vaccinated healthcare workers under 65, shows one dose reduces infection risk by more than 70%, rising to 85% with a second dose.
PHE’S analysis of routine testing data also shows one dose is 57% effective against symptomatic
Covid-19 in the over-80 age group from three to four weeks after the first dose. This would rise by around 30% after a second dose. Scientists claim the findings help validate the policy of delaying second doses.
Dr Mary Ramsay, who is head of immunisation at PHE, said it was too early to share protection data on the Oxford-astrazeneca vaccine but she added that it was also “showing signs of a good effect”.
But she cautioned: “Even if you have been vaccinated, it is really important that you continue to act like you have the virus, practice good hand hygiene and stay at home.”
A separate Scottish study found the Pfizer and Oxford-astrazeneca reduced the risk of hospitalisation by up to 85% and 94%, respectively.
The SIREN findings also suggest the Pfizer jab could help interrupt virus transmission, though scientists stress more information is needed.
Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific advisor, said the data did not mean lockdown can be eased any quicker,as even high levels of protection and vaccine uptake would leave many people unprotected.
THE Queen has decided who will take over patronages from Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and it is thought she will announce her choices to the Royal Family in the coming weeks.
It is understood the monarch decided “long ago” who would be suited for the roles, prior to the announcement last week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would not return to The Firm.
Princess Anne, 70, is tipped to take over from Harry, 36, as Captain General of the Royal Marines. Prince Edward, 56, or his wife Sophie, 56, could replace Meghan, 39, as National Theatre patron.
The National Theatre last week thanked Meghan for “championing” its work with communities and young
people, and the Mirror understands the board was “deeply split” over whether to ask her to carry on in an unofficial role.
Prince Harry has been Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, since 2008, a patronage likely to go to Prince William.
Harry’s role as Commodore-in-chief Small Ships and Diving must also be filled. Sophie Wessex may also take over from Meghan as Patron of The Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Harry also lost his patronages of England Rugby Union and the Rugby Football League. League chiefs hope William, 38, will take over as the face of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
Harry and Meghan’s roles as president and VP of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust are also vacant. The pair were seen yesterday in an online event for Spotify.
A royal source said: “When the writing was on the wall and it was clear the Duke and Duchess had no intention of coming back into the fold and being part of the team, the Queen made her mind up long ago over her preferred candidates for the roles they vacated.”
Buckingham Palace did not comment.
ROBBIE Williams still looks back in anger at the jibes by Noel and Liam Gallagher that forced him to flee Britain.
The singer had a long-running feud with the Oasis brothers in the 1990s and 2000s. They traded insults and Robbie famously challenged rock frontman Liam to a boxing match at the 2000 Brits awards. Former Take That star Robbie, now 47, gave as good as he got in the feud – but he says the insults, echoed by most of the rock establishment and sections of the media, were “unbearable”. It left him depressed and eventually inspired his move to Los Angeles in 2004. Robbie said: “My brand of entertainment wasn’t deemed worthy because of how I presented myself. There was a culture of ‘Robbie Williams is not cool’.
“That was apart from the three million people who bought my albums.
“Every time I watched TV programmes, there were people being hateful about me. That was just wrong and grotesque. It was unbearable. I just left the country.
“Liam said that I should be hung, Noel said I was ‘the fat dancer from Take That’.
“I remember every single syllable of every single thing they’ve ever said about me.”
He patched up his differences with Liam, 48, last year after the rocker sent a supportive message when he heard Robbie’s dad had Parkinson’s.
But Robbie still holds resentment towards Noel, 53.
Dad-of-four Robbie, married since 2010 to model Ayda Field, told the Talent Takes Practice podcast: “I could talk for two hours about why Noel’s s***.
“Isn’t it interesting what a few words can do to your whole life? As a father of four I have more perspective on it. I’m not saying I’m healed from all of that, because I’m not.” Robbie and Liam started out as friends and hung out together at Glastonbury in 1995 – but the feud erupted shortly afterwards.
Every time I watched TV, people were hateful. It was just grotesque ROBBIE WILLIAMS ON CRITICISM HE RECEIVED
A GUN attack victim left in a critical condition may not have been the intended target, it emerged yesterday.
Police are investigating the possibility the murder bid at Hopewell Crescent in the Shankill area of West Belfast on Sunday night saw the gunman shoot the wrong person.
The intended victim, who lives in the area, is understood to be under threat from dissident republican elements.
CCTV footage, purportedly from a property in the area and widely circulated on Whatsapp yesterday, contains audio of six or seven loud bangs before a car is seen speeding off.
A time stamp on the footage tallies with that of the incident.
Police yesterday said they are treating the gun attack as attempted murder. Detective
Chief Inspector Natalie Mcnally added: “We received a report around 11.15pm last night that a man had been shot at the rear of a residential property in the Hopewell Crescent area.
“Officers attended, along with colleagues from NIAS.
“A 29-year-old man was brought to hospital for treatment to his injuries, where he remains in critical condition.
“This shooting was a callous, brutal and violent attempt to kill, carried out in a heavilypopulated residential area.
“A short time later, we received a report that a burnt-out vehicle had been found on Fortwilliam Golf Course near Grays Lane.
“The car, which we suspect may have been used in connection with the shooting, has been recovered for forensic examination.
“We would urge anyone who was in the area of Hopewell Crescent yesterday evening, or who may have any information that could assist us with our inquiries, to contact detectives.
“No matter how small or insignificant you think your information may seem, we would encourage you to come forward to police and not to share it on social media.
“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who saw a dark-coloured saloon car leave the area at speed just before 11.15pm.
“We would also to appeal to anyone with CCTV footage in the area, or any drivers with dashcam footage who have yet to come forward, to call 101 quoting reference number 2006 of 21 /02/21.”
The police added a report can also be sent via www.psni.police. uk/makeareport/ or alternatively, information can be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
DUP councillor Brian Kingston condemned the attack.
He said: “I was down at the scene this morning and spoke to local residents and police.
“The shooting happened down an alleyway off Hopewell Crescent at around 11pm.
“Local people heard five or six shots fired. They don’t know who the victim of the shooting was and I am told he is in a critical but stable condition.
“It is not wanted in any community, not wanted in the Lower Shankill community, I cannot remember the last time we had shots fired in that area.
“It seems to have been attempted murder, I’d condemn that. I would be very concerned and would appeal for no further incidents or escalation.”