NI cafes and restaurants may re-open but not pubs

  • The Northern Ireland Executive is considering plans to re-open cafes and restaurants but not pubs and other places that serve alcohol.

    The four-week lockdown that Northern Ireland has been under has helped us gain some ground against the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases, and the Northern Ireland Executive is now considering what its next steps should be. The lockdown forced businesses in the hospitality sector to close their doors just weeks after many re-opened, costing businesses money.

    When the hospitality sector re-opened following the first coronavirus lockdown, there was a definite spike in cases. Restaurants and cafes had to implement safety measures and allow staff and customers to maintain safe distances from each other, but this proved difficult to enforce in bars.

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    Recommendations made to the NI Executive this week include proposals to partially re-open the hospitality sector. Cafes and restaurants may be allowed to re-open when the current lockdown ends this Friday, while pubs that serve only alcohol would be forced to stay close for another two weeks.

    Businesses across the hospitality sector have warned that repeatedly opening and closing is causing organisational problems and costing them a lot of lost revenue. The government's support for businesses forced to close during the pandemic has changed several times over the past few months as the government reacts to changing circumstances, and it's making it difficult for businesses to plan ahead.

    Source: BBC News

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    Brendan is a Sync NI writer with a special interest in the gaming sector, programming, emerging technology, and physics. To connect with Brendan, feel free to send him an email or follow him on Twitter.

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