Boris Johnson has announced this evening that pubs and restaurants must close as of this evening. After beginning the week by telling the public they should avoid such venues, the Prime Minister has now instructed these establishments to close their doors:
‘We are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow – thought to be clear they can continue to provide takeout services. We’re also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close.’
Johnson was clear in his comments that this was a decision his government had not taken lightly – and one that he was reluctant to do. He said that he understood the new measures ‘go against the freedom loving instincts of the British people’. The government will review the measures on a monthly basis to see as and when they can be relaxed. Given that a government scientific report today suggested social distancing may need to be in place for a year to be effective, it’s unlikely this will be a short term measure.
The Chancellor announced fiscal measures to accompany the closure of these establishments across the UK. Rishi Sunak said the government would make history by paying people’s wages. To prevent businesses making employees redundant, Sunak said the government would cover 80 per cent of salaries of workers of up to £2,500 a month – on a three month basis which shall be reviewed in due course.
Explaining the decision, Sunak said ‘unprecedented measures call for unprecedented times’. The scale of the measures announced today including the indefinite length of the mass financial support shows how tough the UK government expects things to get in the coming months – with no clear end point in sight.
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