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| Covid: Pubs and restaurants in England to have 10pm closing times | Covid: Pubs and restaurants in England to have 10pm closing times |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| All pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues in England must have a 22:00 closing time from Thursday, to help curb the spread of coronavirus. | |
| The sector will also be restricted by law to table service only. | The sector will also be restricted by law to table service only. |
| The measures will be set out by the prime minister in Parliament before an address to the nation to be broadcast live at 20:00 BST on Tuesday. | |
| It comes as the UK's Covid-19 alert level moved to 4, meaning transmission is "high or rising exponentially". | |
| The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned there could be 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action - which, he said, could lead to more than 200 deaths per day by mid-November. | The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned there could be 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action - which, he said, could lead to more than 200 deaths per day by mid-November. |
| On Monday, a further 4,368 daily cases and 11 deaths were reported in the UK. There were 3,899 cases reported on Sunday. | On Monday, a further 4,368 daily cases and 11 deaths were reported in the UK. There were 3,899 cases reported on Sunday. |
| Further restrictions will also be announced in Scotland on Tuesday, while restrictions on households mixing indoors will be extended to all of Northern Ireland. | Further restrictions will also be announced in Scotland on Tuesday, while restrictions on households mixing indoors will be extended to all of Northern Ireland. |
| Also from 18:00 BST on Tuesday, four more counties in south Wales will face new measures, including a 23:00 curfew for pubs and bars. | Also from 18:00 BST on Tuesday, four more counties in south Wales will face new measures, including a 23:00 curfew for pubs and bars. |
| The UK cabinet will meet on Tuesday morning and Boris Johnson will also chair a Cobra emergency meeting - which will be attended by the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. | The UK cabinet will meet on Tuesday morning and Boris Johnson will also chair a Cobra emergency meeting - which will be attended by the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Speaking about the new closing times, a No 10 spokesperson said: "No-one underestimates the challenges the new measures will pose to many individuals and businesses. | Speaking about the new closing times, a No 10 spokesperson said: "No-one underestimates the challenges the new measures will pose to many individuals and businesses. |
| "We know this won't be easy, but we must take further action to control the resurgence in cases of the virus and protect the NHS." | "We know this won't be easy, but we must take further action to control the resurgence in cases of the virus and protect the NHS." |
| Tighter restrictions on pub and restaurant opening times are already in place in parts of north-east and north-west England, and Wales. | Tighter restrictions on pub and restaurant opening times are already in place in parts of north-east and north-west England, and Wales. |
| What difference will it make? | What difference will it make? |
| People are understandably asking what difference closing at 22:00 makes. Coupled with the table service law, it will be little more than a marginal gain. | People are understandably asking what difference closing at 22:00 makes. Coupled with the table service law, it will be little more than a marginal gain. |
| But what ministers hope is that the move, along with the rule of six that came into force last week, will act as a warning to the public that efforts to curb the virus need to be redoubled. | But what ministers hope is that the move, along with the rule of six that came into force last week, will act as a warning to the public that efforts to curb the virus need to be redoubled. |
| What remains to be seen is whether any other restrictions will accompany this move. | What remains to be seen is whether any other restrictions will accompany this move. |
| Behind the scenes both ministers and their advisers have argued over what is the right thing to do and how much the public will be willing to tolerate. | Behind the scenes both ministers and their advisers have argued over what is the right thing to do and how much the public will be willing to tolerate. |
| It seems inevitable that the virus will continue to spread - that's what respiratory viruses do during winter, especially one for which there is limited immunity and no vaccine. | It seems inevitable that the virus will continue to spread - that's what respiratory viruses do during winter, especially one for which there is limited immunity and no vaccine. |
| But how quickly and widely is something no one knows. | But how quickly and widely is something no one knows. |
| The risk of trying to suppress the virus is the government will soon find itself having to make another decision about further steps. | The risk of trying to suppress the virus is the government will soon find itself having to make another decision about further steps. |
| How far are ministers prepared to go? Every restriction that is taken has a negative consequence to society. | How far are ministers prepared to go? Every restriction that is taken has a negative consequence to society. |
| But the nature of the virus means lives will undoubtedly be lost the more it spreads. Balancing those two harms will define the next six months. | But the nature of the virus means lives will undoubtedly be lost the more it spreads. Balancing those two harms will define the next six months. |
| Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said the new rules should be "applied with flexibility" and called for more support for the sector. | Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said the new rules should be "applied with flexibility" and called for more support for the sector. |
| "A hard close time is bad for business and bad for controlling the virus - we need to allow time for people to disperse over a longer period," she said. | "A hard close time is bad for business and bad for controlling the virus - we need to allow time for people to disperse over a longer period," she said. |
| "Table service has been widely adopted in some parts of the sector since reopening, but it is not necessary across all businesses, such as coffee shops." | "Table service has been widely adopted in some parts of the sector since reopening, but it is not necessary across all businesses, such as coffee shops." |
| Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night-Time Industries Association, said the announcement was "yet another devastating blow" and warned it would result in a "surge of unregulated events and house parties". | Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night-Time Industries Association, said the announcement was "yet another devastating blow" and warned it would result in a "surge of unregulated events and house parties". |
| Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at free-market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the move "seems to have emerged from a random policy generator" and called on the government to publish the evidence upon which it was based. | Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at free-market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said the move "seems to have emerged from a random policy generator" and called on the government to publish the evidence upon which it was based. |
| "While mandatory table service has been part of the successful Swedish approach and may have merit, the new closing time will be devastating to a hospitality sector that was already suffering after the first lockdown," he said. | "While mandatory table service has been part of the successful Swedish approach and may have merit, the new closing time will be devastating to a hospitality sector that was already suffering after the first lockdown," he said. |
| If Boris Johnson had decreed a year ago that he was going to call last orders on the pub at 10pm, the ravens might have left the Tower. | If Boris Johnson had decreed a year ago that he was going to call last orders on the pub at 10pm, the ravens might have left the Tower. |
| But given the terrible warnings from the government's top scientists on Monday, the kind of strict measures that ministers had been discussing - and the extent of restrictions that many people are already living with in some of our towns and cities - you might wonder if what the prime minister has ended up deciding is less stringent than it might have been. | But given the terrible warnings from the government's top scientists on Monday, the kind of strict measures that ministers had been discussing - and the extent of restrictions that many people are already living with in some of our towns and cities - you might wonder if what the prime minister has ended up deciding is less stringent than it might have been. |
| As we have talked about many times, Downing Street is all too aware of the economic havoc the restrictions around the pandemic have caused. | As we have talked about many times, Downing Street is all too aware of the economic havoc the restrictions around the pandemic have caused. |
| Logically, therefore, it has always only wanted to take action when it has felt absolutely urgent. It is also the case that, as we enter a second surge, more is understood about the virus itself. | Logically, therefore, it has always only wanted to take action when it has felt absolutely urgent. It is also the case that, as we enter a second surge, more is understood about the virus itself. |
| That means the government ought to be able to take a more sophisticated approach to managing the spread, rather than blunt, blunderbuss nationwide measures. | That means the government ought to be able to take a more sophisticated approach to managing the spread, rather than blunt, blunderbuss nationwide measures. |
| At least for now, the prime minister has concluded there is a narrow, but real chance to put the brakes on the outbreak before taking more draconian steps. | At least for now, the prime minister has concluded there is a narrow, but real chance to put the brakes on the outbreak before taking more draconian steps. |
| Read more from Laura. | Read more from Laura. |
| New measures will also come into force in Lancashire, Merseyside, parts of the Midlands and West Yorkshire from Tuesday. | New measures will also come into force in Lancashire, Merseyside, parts of the Midlands and West Yorkshire from Tuesday. |
| Other areas of England, Scotland and Wales are already under local lockdown, with restrictions including a ban on mixing with other households. | Other areas of England, Scotland and Wales are already under local lockdown, with restrictions including a ban on mixing with other households. |
| The prime minister's announcement on closing times comes after a series of meetings over the weekend, including with the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunk and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. | The prime minister's announcement on closing times comes after a series of meetings over the weekend, including with the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunk and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. |