Coronavirus lockdown: Will pubs and bars be closed until Christmas?

20 April 2020, 11:43 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has hinted pubs and bars could be the last things to reopen following coronavirus lockdown.

Coronavirus hit the UK hard in March 2020 and saw pubs, bars and restaurants as one of the first things to close in order to help social distancing, and now it’s emerged they might not reopen until as late Christmas.

Following Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove’s speech on the extended coronavirus lockdown, he admitted pubs and bars could be amongst the last things to reopen once the pandemic has passed.

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When asked if pubs would be open before winter, he responded: “The other inference that I draw from your question, which is that areas of hospitality will be among the last to exit the lockdown — yes, that is true.”

There are 48,349 pubs in the UK, all of which are considerably worried about the latest development.

Frank Maguire from Truman’s brewery has said: “Christmas is about as big as business gets for the pub industry. It will be a huge loss. January and February are dead months — without Christmas to carry us through, we will struggle.”

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There is also the added worry of missing pub business from the cancelled sporting events this year including the Euros 2020.

The news come following the UK’s three-week extended lockdown and with the news that schools would not be returning after the Easter holidays.