Tighter Covid rules in Wales will take pubs ‘into sub-viable trading’
Additional Covid restrictions from Boxing Day “will only make matters worse” for pubs and restaurants, the Welsh hospitality sector has cautioned. UKHospitality Cymru has warned.
No more than six people will be allowed to meet in a group in pubs, cinemas and restaurants from 26 December, it was announced on Wednesday.
What’s more, two metre social distancing rules will return for public places, first minister Mark Drakeford said.
Venues that serve alcohol will be subject to strict rules once more, including table service, face masks and the collection of contact tracing details.
“The new restrictions virtually close Wales’ events industry and take all other hospitality businesses much further into sub-viable trading,” said David Chapman, executive director for UKHospitality Cymru.
“Hundreds of millions of pounds of business have been lost in the run up to a very quiet Christmas and things will now get worse from Boxing Day,” he said.
Hospitality bosses have also warned more financial support is needed to help businesses weather the storm created by measures to tackle the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
“Welsh Government tells us it has pushed its own financial boundaries as far as it can. The new packages amount to £120m, an additional £60m, but this falls way short of the huge scale of the business that will be lost,” Chapman added.
The trade body called on the UK government to make more funding available for Wales.
CAMRA chairman Nik Antona said the reintroduction of the rule would “make it difficult, if not impossible, for many of our pubs, social clubs and brewery taprooms to turn a profit.”
He added: “Traditional smaller community locals which don’t serve food will be particularly hard hit at a time when the decent Christmas trade they were relying on to help them recover and see them through the quiet months at the start of the year has already evaporated as a result of government announcements.”