Health Secretary Matt Hancock would not saying on ITV’s This Morning whether pub’s would be allowed to remain open in England as the country appears to be edging closer to a second lockdown
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The Health Secretary refused to say whether England’s pubs would be allowed to open this weekend as the Government prepared extra measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Matt Hancock was asked whether landlords would be told to shut this weekend on ITV’s This Morning.
The minister did not give a clear answer, raising fears that the country’s boozers could once again be boarded up.
Mr Hancock said his answer on pubs was « not a no, and it’s not a yes », adding: « We have been working on this all weekend, we haven’t taken the final decisions about what we need to do in response to the surge that we have seen in the last few weeks. »
« We will be absolutely clear about the changes we need to make in the very, very near future, » he added.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address the nation on Tuesday amid mounting concern about the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.
The Health Secretary spoke to Mr Johnson on Monday morning and added: « He is as worried as we all are about the rise in the number of cases and we have to make a final decision about what’s the best response to that. »
Pubs and restaurants are already closing at 10pm across large areas of the country including the North East and Bolton.
It’s understood No10 is now looking at whether to implement a similar policy England -wide, but no final decisions have been taken.
Close contact with others indoors can increase the spread of the disease and after a few pints it is harder to maintain social distancing.
