COVID-19…Are Pubs Safe?
Professor Hugh Pennington, of Aberdeen University, has said, without scientific evidence, that pubs are “dangerous places to be” (Daily Express, 14 August) but Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin claims that: “The situation with regard to pubs has been widely misunderstood.
Pub company Wetherspoon reports that it has had approximately 32 million customer visits to its 861 open pubs in the 10 weeks since 4 July and that there have been 66 positive tests for Covid-19 among its 41,564 employees during this time.
811 pubs have reported zero positive tests, 40 pubs have reported one, six pubs two, two pubs three and two pubs four. Most of the reported cases have been mild or asymptomatic and 28 of the 66 employees have already returned to work, after self-isolating in accordance with medical guidelines.
“There have been more positive cases at one farm in Hereford than at all Wetherspoon pubs- and over four times as many at one sandwich-making facility in Northampton”.
“It is clearly not the case that pubs are “dangerous places to be,” says Tim Martin
Swedish epidemiologist Johan Giesecke has said “strong scientific evidence shows that handwashing and social distancing, as practised by most pubs, work”.
Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, has recently said
“The data we have shows that the infection rate has risen, mainly due to social interactions, particularly private household gatherings. In shops and hospitality venues, there are strict measures in place to ensure they are COVID-free, whereas it is much easier to inadvertently pass on the virus in someone’s house, where people are more relaxed and less vigilant.”
Mr Martin added: “If pubs are closed, or restricted so much that they become unprofitable, a great deal of the strenuous effort of the hospitality industry’s 3.2 million employees, currently engaged on upholding hygiene and social distancing standards, will be lost – leaving the public to socialise at home or elsewhere, in unsupervised circumstances.
Although it is clearly possible for Covid-19 infections to take place in pubs and shops, the evidence indicates that the risk is low, provided social distancing and hygiene rules are followed, and common sense is used, in line with the views of Professor Giesecke and Councillor Ward.
Read the full article here:
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/news/2020/09/wetherspoon-news-and-press-release
Looking for a great place to stay in Buxton? The Westminster Hotel is a family-run hotel that enjoys an enviable position overlooking the beautifully landscaped Pavilion Gardens. Just a short walk from the Town Centre, the hotel is perfectly situated for discovering all that Buxton has to offer.
Telephone 01298 23929 or visit https://westminsterhotel.co.uk/ to learn more.
