Industry welcomes plans to lift restrictions but warns long road ahead

By Lisa Riley

Published: 06 July, 2021

The hospitality industry has welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on the lifting of restrictions on 19 July as a “major milestone”, but warned of a "long road ahead".

In a press conference yesterday afternoon (5 July), Johnson proposed that restrictions such as the one-metre-plus rule, mandatory wearing of face masks, table service-only and the limits on number of people meeting indoors and outdoors will end on 19 July.

In addition, he said that hospitality sites will not be required to ask customers for proof that they have had Covid vaccines. Nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen for the first time since the pandemic.

The final decision on whether Step 4, the final stage of the England roadmap, can go ahead will be made on Monday (12 July), the PM confirmed.

Johnson’s announcement marked a “major milestone” in how England would come to live with Covid and would be celebrated by hospitality business owners and their staff across the country, said Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality (UKH).

“For the vast majority of hospitality businesses, 19 July – if confirmed next week – will be the first time in 16 months they have been able to realistically look to break even and move towards profitability,” she said.

Hospitality businesses would continue to provide “safe and enjoyable experiences as we move into the summer and beyond and, in doing so, will also safeguard jobs, livelihoods and the venues we cherish so much”, she added.

“In order to do so, venues will need autonomy to act according to their own risk assessments, without local authority gold-plating, and a workable test and trace system that doesn’t demand blanket self-isolation like the test to remain-style system, to ensure that we can both protect our staff but trade with sufficient teams.

“It will still be a long road back for businesses that have been forced to take on debt just to survive, especially with the reintroduction of business rates payments,” said Nicholls.

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) added that the announcement meant 2,000 more pubs would finally be able to reopen but also warned the lifting of restrictions would mark only the beginning of the sector’s recovery from Covid-19.

“The lifting of all remaining restrictions on pubs in England, if the government sticks to its roadmap, is hugely welcome for our sector,” said CEO Emma McClarkin.

“After nearly 18 months of forced closure or operating under severe restrictions – which crippled the viability of pubs – 19 July should mark the beginning of the recovery for our sector in England.

“Over 2,000 pubs remained closed because they couldn’t viably operate with social distancing and table service-only. Hopefully from 19 July, these pubs will be able to reopen.”

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