Pubs in our area have decided to shut at 10pm tonight

[OriginalM]

Pubs in our area have decided to close at 10pm tonight due to the high rates of covid and staff shortages.
Any other areas doing the same?
How many other businesses will have to collectively close before Boris /Rishi steps in ?

Good, they shouldn't be open

@Lacedwithgrace

Good, they shouldn't be open

Your welcome to become a hermit don't expect the rest of us to

@Lacedwithgrace

Good, they shouldn't be open

You pay the staff wages then if you want them closed.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Anyone going out tonight needs their heads checking.

Seriously, who wants to usher in 2022 with Covid?

Wouldn't bother me. Already had Covid, I've had worse colds. Although I'm a single parent so can't go out.

DS1 used to do bar work as a student (hasn't done any for 2 years). He's had 2 calls from former employers asking if he could work. One called on Tuesday another called at 11am this morning asking if he could work tonight, DS1 isn't interested so he then asked if he knew anyone who could.
We're in London, in an area popular for its bars and restaurants, every time I've been out in the past 2 weeks somewhere has been closed due to lack of staff, I really feel for the businesses.

You pay the staff wages then if you want them closed

........and this is the crux of it. It is not politically viable to start paying out millions in furlough again, so the (English) rules are following what is better for the economy rather than people's health. From the beginning, there has had to be a balance between 'ideal from a health pov' and the economy and also our natural human desire to socialise and be part of communities. We are never all going to agree, because we are all in different places in terms of whether the hospitality industry is all of our income or not; in terms of whether we are clinically vulnerable or not; in terms of how much we crave company and socialisation; in terms of if we have lost a person too soon due to covid ; and so on.

@Xmasiscancelledagain

I'm of the belief that Covid is a very convenient get out clause for staff who don't want to work over the festive period. Its amazing how many people have Covid and a guaranteed 10 days off over Christmas when their annual leave request was cancelled. . Where DH works, they are being asked to work tomorrow and Sunday when they wouldn't usually and its amazing how many fit and healthy people have suddenly developed Covid in the last 24 hours.

What a nasty comment to make

My DD works in retail, large supermarket, should have been in yesterday and all this weekend. She has worked 22 months of pandemic without having any COVID-related time off, no isolations etc.

She is ill in bed with COVID symptoms. All LFTs have been negative.

I am desperately hoping that yesterdays PCR is positive so that she has proof of how ill she is, but if it is negative, then what?

Will she be put down as a malinger by people who think like you, even though she can’t get out of bed and is coughing for England? She might not have COVID, but is too sick to be in work. She is also vulnerable with a heart defect, so is triple jabbed.

Neither she nor DH can understand why I am desperate for Pos PCR, as far as they are concerned, she is too ill to work, Covid or not. But after reading this horrible comment, I feel I am justified in my concerns.

@Xmasiscancelledagain

I'm of the belief that Covid is a very convenient get out clause for staff who don't want to work over the festive period. Its amazing how many people have Covid and a guaranteed 10 days off over Christmas when their annual leave request was cancelled. . Where DH works, they are being asked to work tomorrow and Sunday when they wouldn't usually and its amazing how many fit and healthy people have suddenly developed Covid in the last 24 hours.

Yeah, loads of people working in the lowest paid jobs can afford to have a week of ssp instead of their normal wages.

All normal my way ( NW)

I’m out tonight … I shall eat, drink, dance and hug my friends and family. I’d rather live a shorter happy sociable life than a longer hermit like existence.

3 pubs in my village, all advertising they’re open till 1am and they’ll be having disco and party food, kids welcome.

@BigSandyBalls2015

I’m out tonight … I shall eat, drink, dance and hug my friends and family. I’d rather live a shorter happy sociable life than a longer hermit like existence.

Oh dear for you if you get Long Covid then. Still one night out is worth potentially years of being a hermit.... without a livelihood, because of being too unwell to work.

Furlough unaffordable? Hmmm well perhaps if the millions and millions lost to fraud was claimed back... Or, oh, here's a shocker of an idea. Worthwhile too what with the additional long term disabled (thanks, Long Covid). It's called Reinstate the Welfare Safely Net. Imagine. Enough money to survive if made redundant or too ill to work (short, or long-term).

@BertiesShoes for your dd. I wish her a speedy recovery. Try not to worry about the nasty comments here. The majority of the public are actually fairly decent and reasonable people who will understand. Who cares what the more unpleasant think or say. Just ignore.

Many restaurants around here shut up shop at the start of Christmas week and won’t open until January. Staff sickness, reduced footfall and uncertainty meant they did not want to order supplies that went to waste. Supply chain problems and staff shortages due to Brexit had already hit hard here and we have lost a couple of thriving and popular local businesses as a result.

In London 1 in 15 people had it last week (latest ONS sampling) so not surprising so much of the economy has shutdown, including whole rail lines. Everyone we know is going out early evening to drink outside but going home to house parties for midnight.

I really feel for the people in the hospitality and entertainment sectors who have been severely affected.

My local is closed due to Covid.

@BigSandyBalls2015

I’m out tonight … I shall eat, drink, dance and hug my friends and family. I’d rather live a shorter happy sociable life than a longer hermit like existence.

😆 idiot.

What a daft comment about feigning sickness. As a pp said, most people working in hospitality are on very low wages and not able to take the cut.

My dc (emergency services, not hospitality) agreed to go in to work an extra shift yesterday as there were only 6 out of the 22 that ought to be on shift there..... they aren't feigning, they are isolating. Omicron seems to be incredibly infectious.

@Tealightsandd

Thank you for your touching comment, I hope DD’s boss is as considerate if she has a neg. PCR and not like the previous commenter! Some of DH relatives had negative tests, even though they obvs had COVID as other family had it.

We are anxiously waiting for her result, test done first thing yesterday morning at a walk in centre. I am sure it is just delayed due to overwhelming numbers testing but I will be glad when it comes.

Easier said than done but try not to worry. Her boss will surely realise that she wouldn't turn down work unnecessarily. People don't tend to do that, and outside of social media including MN, in the real world, most people are quite realistic and understanding about the current (shit) situation.

Up to 30% of PCRs are false negatives. That's been quite widely reported. Her boss should be aware.

I hope you get her result back soon but don't panic if it's negative. Regardless of what it is, she's too unwell to go into work. Whether Covid, a very bad cold, or the flu, it happens.

I hope she feels better very soon

And here's hoping for a better 2022 for us all!

Our local is shutting at 7pm!

It must be so difficult to live without a brain x

@Thewiseoneincognito You are covid paranoid though. There is nothing wrong at all with people going out tonight.

I had a table booked for a late lunch today and the pub was shut when we got there!

Not here

Closing normal time and busy

Everywhere in my small seaside town is open and rocking! lots of live music/DJ's.

If I wasn't a single parent and/or just got home from a super busy nursing shift I would be out frequenting packed pubs/gigs without a concern.

[quote Nicknacky]@Thewiseoneincognito You are covid paranoid though. There is nothing wrong at all with people going out tonight.[/quote]
Of course there isn’t.

Dc is working tonight, good on him