Backlash against Sturgeon over ‘cataclysmic’ shutdown
• Hospitality industry warns of devastating impact on businesses • Opposition parties hit out over lack of consultation and evidence
NEW restrictions which will see pubs and restaurants across the Central Belt forced to close for at least two weeks will have a “cataclysmic” impact on the industry, business leaders have warned.
Nicola Sturgeon unveiled plans to shut licensed premises across the region from tomorrow as she revealed that more than a thousand new cases of coronavirus had been detected in the previous 24 hours, with the number of people in hospital rising to 319 – up from just 137 a week ago.
“We estimate that the number of new Covid cases is currently growing by seven per cent each day,” said the First Minister.
“Without action we are likely to return to the peak level of infections we had in the Spring by the end of this month.”
Ms Sturgeon added that the highest levels of infection “by some distance” were occurring in the Central Belt, particularly in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.
From 6pm tomorrow all licensed premises, with the exception of hotels for residents, will have to close to both indoor and outdoor hospitality, although they can provide a takeaway service.
Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls must also close, although cafes which do not serve alcohol can continue to operate daily until 6pm.
From Saturday, bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes outwith these five areas can continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the 10pm curfew, with customers only allowed to meet in groups of six from a maximum of two households.
They can also open to customers indoors, but without serving alcohol.
The First Minister said the “vast majority” of premises had worked “exceptionally hard” to keep staff and patrons safe, but added that these settings still posed a significant risk.
“The R number seems to have risen above one approximately three weeks after the hospitality sector opened up,” said Ms
Sturgeon. We know that more than a fifth of people contacted by test and trace, report having visited a hospitality setting.
“That makes sense from what we know about how the virus is spread.”
She added that alcohol consumption was also likely to “affect people’s willingness to physically distance”.
The crackdown on hospitality comes after weeks of the Scottish Government insisting that contact tracing pointed to house parties as the main driver new infections.
Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said the industry’s own data showed “very low” infection rates among pub and bar staff.
“If we were a major causal route of infection, this would surely be reflected in the infection rate of hospitality staff. It would appear again that Scotland’s licensed trade is the sacrificial lamb and paying the price for other sectors that do not operate under such restrictive measures.”
Mr Wilkinson said the current 10pm curfew and rule-of-six is already having a “devastating effect” on the industry, and the latest curbs would only accelerate business failure and job losses.
A recent survey highlighted that nearly 40% of hospitality businesses were considering closure or business exit, putting 12,500 jobs under threat.
Mr Wilkinson said the two-week shutdown, which covers three weekends and coincides with the October school holidays in most areas, would be “cataclysmic”.
He added: “When the industry re-opened after lockdown and with the then restrictive measures in place, it was estimated that two-thirds of hospitality businesses could still
be viable, but only just, with one-third of businesses unable to open. Now that figure has flipped and in our estimation two-thirds of hospitality businesses could be mothballed or go under.
“Over 50% of jobs in the pub and bar sector could also be lost which will have a particularly deep impact on the employment of young people as over 40% of staff employed are under the age of 25.”
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the latest measures will “sound the death knell” for many hospitality businesses and criticised a “complete and utter lack of consultation” with the sector.
“In the vast majority of cases, the recent growth and spread of the virus is not coming from businessmanaged environments,” said Ms Cameron.
“We simply cannot continue to keep switching the lights of the economy on and off.”
The Scottish Government will make an extra £40 million available to support hospitality businesses, but Emma Mcclarkin, CEO of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA), said that while the fund was welcome it “does not go nearly far enough”.
“For the majority of premises, the available funds will not even come close to covering the required furlough contributions for the period, never mind ongoing fixed costs and stock,” said Ms Mcclarkin.
“We also must not overlook the impact this will have on brewers, who have already seen around 50% of their on-trade business disappear this year.
“The knock-on effect of these new restrictions will be felt keenly among Scotland’s brewers. As a result, there will now likely be further redundancies and jobs lost within our sector.”
Andrew Mcrae, Scotland policy chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses, said the £40m must reach “those businesses in the greatest need as quickly as possible”, adding that the crisis has “taken its toll on the mental health of those that work for themselves”.
Scottish Conservative Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson, said it was “not good enough” to consult with businesses only after restrictions were already announced.
She said: “Our hospitality sector
has complied with everything that has been asked of them.
“But many of these small businesses are now running on empty and all reserves are gone.
“Nicola Sturgeon has been warning of the potential of a second wave or possible regional lockdown measures for weeks.
“We know there were problems in businesses accessing support after the local lockdown in Aberdeen.
“A discussion about how to compensate businesses that might be affected by any new measures should have taken place weeks ago.
“A one-day consultation after today’s announcement – and just hours before businesses are forced to close their doors – is just not good enough.
“These businesses deserve better.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the hospitality sector was being treated like “Sodom and Gomorrah”, and questioned the evidence for a blanket ban.
“Why doesn’t the First Minister consider closing down those businesses which are not complying with guidance, instead of shutting down every single business, serving 70% of the population, including those which are fully complying?,” said Mr Leonard.
“Where is the evidence that
Covid is spreading in all hospitality settings to warrant a blanket ban on all of these establishments?
“Can the First Minister explain the terms of the review after the initial 16 days?”
But Gabe Docherty, chairman of the Scottish Directors of Public
Health, said the measures “focused on those areas which are associated with increased risk of transmission” and have their full support.
Mr Docherty said: “The accelerating number of cases in a number of NHS boards demonstrates the need for immediate action to halt the spread we’ve seen in these areas over the past few weeks, and the potential for further transmission across wider parts of Scotland.
“Particularly as we head into the winter months and flu season. We know this is a really challenging time but we can only suppress this virus with the public’s help – so it is vital everyone complies with these new measures.”
It comes as other European countries push back against rising infections.
In Paris, all bars and cafes have closed for two weeks but restaurants can remain open as long as customers wear face masks and are sat one metre apart, while in Berlin bars and restaurants must obey an 11pm curfew from Saturday.
In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the current hotspot for the outbreak, the number of people in hospital with Covid has doubled in a week to 144, with more than 1,800 new cases detected. Between them, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Forth Valley, and Ayrshire and Arran, account for 146 hospital patients compared to 71 a week ago.
In the seven days to Monday, the total number of people in hospital with Covid increased by almost 80%, said Ms Sturgeon, while the number of cases in people aged 80 or older rose by 60%.
She added: “The number of people who died with Covid last week was the highest for 14 weeks. In fact, there was the same number of deaths in the last week alone as in the whole of the previous month.
“The increase in the numbers of people in hospital with, and sadly dying from Covid, reflect the rise we are now seeing in new cases among older age groups.”
Ms Sturgeon added that the Scotland-wide ban on household visiting, imposed13 days ago, had been the “most important and most painful” step in curbing transmission.
She said this should already be making a difference to infection rates “even if, because there is always a time lag, we are not yet seeing it reflected in our figures”.