Calderdale pub and restaurant curfew a blow to businesses says council deputy leader

The new restrictions announced by Boris Johnson to stifle the spread of coronavirus will be in place for six months, the Prime Minister has warned.

Amid rising coronavirus rates, Boris Johnson said in the Commons: “We always knew that while we might have driven the virus into retreat, the prospect of a second wave was real and I’m sorry to say that, as in Spain and France and many other countries, we’ve reached a perilous turning point.”

In response to the Prime Minister’s statement on COVID-19 to the House of Commons, Calderdale Council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Jane Scullion, said: “Once again, as a nation we’re seeing a worrying increase in COVID-19 rates. This is reflected in Calderdale, as sadly, infection rates are continuing to rise across the borough.

“The announcement by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons means that a number of further restrictions will be introduced across the country. This is in addition to the local restrictions currently in place across the whole of Calderdale.

“There are no immediate changes to Council services. We are keeping all of our activities under regular review, working through the national guidance and determining what it means for each of our services.

“Today’s announcement will particularly affect hospitality businesses in the borough and all restaurants and bars will now be required to close at 10pm.

“We know this will be a blow for many establishments, especially as so many have been going the extra mile to look after their staff and customers. We’ll continue to work through the implications and do all we can to support and offer advice to affected businesses.

“To say that this has been a difficult year for Calderdale would be an understatement. The borough has been through some of the most challenging times in living memory in 2020, not only with COVID, but also the devastating flooding at the start of the year.

“We’ve all faced these battles with the usual resilience, but we know that the challenges can feel unrelenting. I want to emphasise that we will continue to do all we can to support our residents and businesses and along with our partner organisations we’re working hard to identify the best ways to control the virus. Our local contact tracing system is working well, helping us to understand the local situation in more detail and contain outbreaks.

“Everyone in Calderdale can help play their part to control the spread of COVID. We should all stay at home and avoid seeing others outside our household if we have symptoms, and arrange a test as soon as possible. We should also all continue to maintain good hygiene by washing our hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching our face, follow the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ guidance and wear a face covering when we're indoors in a public area to help keep ourselves and others safe.”

National restrictions announced by the Prime Minster today, include:

- Pubs, bars, restaurants and hospitality venues in England will be required to have a 10pm closing time from Thursday 24 September, and the sector will also be restricted by law to providing table service only.

- People are being urged to work from home where it does not negatively impact businesses.

- Face masks will be compulsory for retail staff, all users of taxis and private hire vehicles, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.

From Monday 28 September, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions. Up to 30 can still attend a funeral.

- The rule of six will be extended to all adult indoor team sports.

- Business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events will now no longer be able to reopen as originally intended