Pubs relieved but fear Plan B knock-on effect
DESPITE pubs escaping the stricter measures of Covid “Plan B”, city venue owners and managers are still concerned about the impact on their businesses.
A raft of new measures and guidance have been introduced, including advice to work from home and Covid “passports” becoming mandatory in certain settings.
Another new rule is that the legal requirement to wear a face mask has been extended to most public indoor venues, including theatres and cinemas, but there are exemptions where it is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising or singing.
That means venues such as pubs and restaurants will not have to enforce mask wearing on their premises.
Despite pubs benefiting from this, owners and managers have raised concerns that stricter measures could have a knock-on effect on their businesses, and one pub is preparing for restrictions to hit them in the future.
James Halfpenny, who runs the Poppy & Pint in Lady Bay, said: “I do think we are a winner, but with the measures announced we could see an indirect impact as consumer confidence is there at the minute, but this could knock it back and it would be a shame.
“If it was enforced in pubs and restaurants now, the sector would just die a death.
“Last week, we saw a large increase of people wearing masks, and I’d say more than 75 percent of people came into the pub wearing them, and would wear them to come up to the bar, and that includes all age ranges.
“I think it will be a matter of time before we see further restrictions, and we’ve bought boxes of face masks for staff and customers just in case.
“We are still respecting social distancing to some degree and we don’t have all our furniture in compared to before the pandemic.”
One man who runs a pub in Long Eaton hopes social distancing restrictions are not enforced in the future, as it could “kill” them.
Simon English, who runs the Tappers Harker pub, said: “I’d rather shut completely than have table service again, as restrictions killed us last time and it’s just not cost effective.
“We had to pay for more staff to serve less people, and you couldn’t make as much money unless food and beer prices went up considerably, so it’s a double-edged sword.
“I can see this being a small window of opportunity in December to make a few quid to get through in January and February.
“But we don’t want to have to spend money buying stock to then shut and have to throw it all away again if things do happen.”
Another licensee said he was surprised that pubs and restaurants had not been affected.
Tony Perkins, owner of Partizan Tavern in Sneinton, said: “It seems strange that it’s not affecting us, but it does make it easier for us without masks.
“I don’t think confidence has recovered since the last lockdowns really. Still people are not going out to the pub because they’re not happy with the masks and socialising in a confined space.”
Speaking about bringing in “Plan B” in a Downing Street briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We know the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations, and therefore sadly in deaths.
“And that is why it is now the proportionate and responsible thing to move to Plan B in England so we slow the spread of the virus and buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into more arms, and especially in older and more vulnerable people.”
PUBLICANS WORRIED FRAGILE CONFIDENCE WILL TAKE A HIT