Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lay out new coronavirus rules that will see pubs and bars in areas with the highest infection rate forced to close.
It has been widely reported that the government will introduce a lockdown alert system that divides England into three tiers of severity: medium, high, and very high. Johnson will announce the measures in an address to the House of Commons.
The Liverpool City region is expected to face the tightest restrictions under a new system. Reports are varied as to what the new system will mean for hospitality businesses, but it is understood the toughest measures will focus on drink-led venues.
Other sources suggest restaurants may also be closed, with only takeaway meals allowed. Council leaders in Liverpool are preparing to clash with government over the matter of restaurants being forced to close.
Chancellor Rishi Sunuk previously announced that the government will cover two-thirds of workers wages in the result of a local lockdown, meaning the government will pay only 67 percent of each employee’s salary. This is in comparison to 80 percent of wages it paid during the height of lockdown.
