IIt was meant to be a triumphant expression of England’s success in winning over Covid-19. Boris Johnson reportedly planned for a “Churchillian” victory speech to be delivered at a historic location on what has been dubbed “Freedom Day.”
As it turned out, the end of the restrictions imposed by law in England came with more of a whimper than a flowering of war rhetoric.
An alarming increase in hospitalizations has forced the government to tone down its message considerably. The Prime Minister also faced the embarrassing inconvenience of having to self-isolate after Health Secretary Sajid Javid fell with the virus, all of which took the sparkle of the festive mood as the country was choking in a sticky 30 degree air.
These concerns were far from the minds of clubbers on dance floors across the country who were the first to adopt ending restrictions as midnight struck Sunday.
Hungry for the special kind of hedonistic release that only nightclubs can deliver, revelers partied the night away after standing in line for hours in some cases. At London’s Heaven nightclub, balloons rained on an ecstatic crowd as a new era was – hopefully – greeted.
“It was extremely moving to see clubs and venues reopen, with people dancing and listening to music until the early hours of the morning,” said Michael Kill, CEO of the Night-time Industries Association.
People felt safe entering clubs for the first time in 17 months, he said, but he warned that the July 19 reopening was only the first step on a long road back towards the financial viability of an industry decimated by the pandemic and grappling with huge debts.
“In many ways, relief has come from the end of uncertainty,” Kill said. “But it is difficult to shake the lingering concern over a winter wave with further restrictions from October and nightclubs being the scapegoat.”
His words would later prove to be premonitory.
Scientists had already warned before Monday’s reopening that the congregation of thousands of people, many not yet vaccinated, in nightclubs risked creating a wave of new “superspreaders” events.
Far from the blur of restless limbs and dancing bodies on English dance floors, statisticians were releasing cold and harsh data showing how badly the UK hotel industry is.
As Freedom Day dawned, the Office for National Statistics revealed that spending at pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs had only returned to 70% of its pre-crisis level. pandemic at the end of May.
In the City of London, too, there was little sign that the country had turned a corner. Stock prices plunged and traders’ screens flashed a sea of red when stock markets opened at 7:30 a.m.
The FTSE 100 index fell 2.3%, wiping out £ 44 billion from the value of some of the largest listed companies in the UK. The FTSE 250 index lost an additional £ 9.6 billion. The reason? Investors fear a resurgence of Covid-19 that could derail the global recovery.
Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, summed up the mood: “Far from giving investors a boost of confidence, Freedom Day has seen it evaporate, as the sharp rise in interest rates has evaporated. infection is disrupting businesses across the UK, ”she said.
Much of the problem is that the increase in the number of cases inevitably means that, in addition to people who get sick, many more have to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone with Covid.
“From retail to manufacturing and hospitality, warnings are mounting and rapidly that mandatory isolation is leading to reduced hours of operation, a drag on sales and reduced production,” explained Mrs. Streeter.
Greene King said he had closed 33 of his pubs due to a staff shortage while Slug and Lettuce owner Stonegate reported 1,000 employees were currently unavailable. The so-called pingdemia has also threatened to force the shutdown of production lines at factories, including those of Nissan and Rolls-Royce.
In workshops, pubs and offices, employers each took their own approach on Monday, best interpreting government guidelines within days of its release.
In Soho, John Darling, COO of Peruvian Japanese restaurant Chotto Matte, was relieved by the rule changes.
“The removal of social distancing regulations will allow catering professionals to fully focus on their customers, delivering memorable tours and world-class quality rather than focusing on QR codes, checking tracking and traceability and wearing a mask in the toilet, ”he said.
“Atmosphere, hospitality and commitment will once again be at the top of our agenda! “
At Warwick’s Fourpenny Shop Pub & Hotel, owner Chris Proudfoot said plastic screens have been removed but table service – which is no longer required by law – is continuing. “Some of our employees wear face shields, but some don’t,” he said.
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