Following the announcement from the Health Secretary that London will move into Tier 3 from 00:01 on Wednesday, Greene King's CEO has reacted.
Nick Mackenzie (pictured) said, “Once again the government has acknowledged hospitality is bearing the brunt of new restrictions to help control the virus but with no extra support to help businesses survive.
“Whilst we understand the need to manage the rate of infections, there is no getting away from the fact that moving London and other areas into Tier 3 the week before Christmas will further cripple the pub sector, which is already on its knees and impact on the livelihoods of our team members and tenants.'
He wents on, “Pubs in London have had an incredibly difficult time this year. Without workers and tourists, footfall has been exceptionally low, even when restrictions were lifted. Two lockdowns and a long list of restrictive policies have left the hospitality sector in dire straits.
'This week would normally be a bumper week for pubs in the capital, instead, many will have to close their doors yet again, despite a significant amount of investment to ensure safe socialising.
Mackenzie concluded, 'What we need from the government now is further support to help hospitality businesses get through to the spring, so that can come out the other side of this crisis and play an important role in helping the economy to bounce back.”