London Restaurants Fear Next Blow
Rising virus infections risk bringing back lockdown
Customers sit at tables at a restaurant outside 30 St. Mary’s Axe in the City of London, on Sept. 15.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergAs the U.K tightened social restrictions again to battle a flare-up of the coronavirus, restaurant owners worry that the tighter rules will deliver another crippling blow to the industry just as it begins to regain its footing.
Hospitality venues across England will have to close by 10 p.m. from Thursday and will be limited to table service only, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, urging people to work from home in the next six months. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said data suggest the virus will spread out of control if stricter rules aren’t enforced, while acknowledging that choking off public life also bears the risk of long-term economic suffering.