More Than A Quarter Of Popular Pubs In The UK Are At Risk Of Permanent Closure

More Than A Quarter Of Popular Pubs In The UK Are At Risk Of Permanent Closure

More than a quarter of popular pubs in the UK are at risk of permanent closure following the current blockades of the second wave of the new coronavirus pandemic. This was pointed out by the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA), which called the current health crisis worse than the crisis caused by World War II. At the same time, the British consider their pubs to be a "national institution" and cultural heritage. The BBPA estimates that of the 47,000 pubs in Britain, up to 12,000 may never reopen after the blockades imposed by central and local governments. The industry complains that it has unfairly attracted the attention of public health in England. It pointed out that in the last week of October, out of the total number of 1392 new outbreaks, only 31 were located in the hospitality sector, which includes restaurants and other similar establishments in addition to pubs. According to the BBPA, pubs were responsible for a very small percentage of new outbreaks. In contrast, schools, universities and other educational establishments were associated with 311 new incidents, almost a quarter of all outbreaks in a given week. There is a danger that the new so-called lockdown in England, which has been in force since 5 November, will be much more devastating than the first blockade in the spring, because this time it is forbidden to sell beer in pubs during the busiest time of year.