UK hospitality chiefs warn on COVID passports in economy reopening plans
UK hospitality bosses have warned against the introduction of COVID passports in England's roadmap to reopen the economy.
The government said it hasn't taken any "decisions" but it is reviewing whether to use vaccine certificates.
But the UK is already trailing COVID passports in April till May in some live events such as the FA Cup final and the World Snooker Championships.
In a letter published in the Telegraph, leaders of Britain's biggest hospitality firms also called on prime minister Boris Johnson to stick with the current dates on the roadmap out of lockdown.
The signatories, including chief executives of JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L), Mitchells & Butlers (MAB.L), Fuller's (FSTA.L), Young's (YNGA.L), Pizza Hut and Alton Towers owner Merlin, said two-thirds of hospitality venues "couldn't open outdoors from 12 April" and that "none is breaking even."
Outdoor restaurant, cafe and beer gardens started trading on 12 April, but indoor dining is set to reopen on 17 May, however this depends on whether the data supports it.
The bosses, including CEO's of The Hut Group (THG.L), The Restaurant Group (RTN.L), Greene King, Pub People, and Revolution (RBG.L) and Burger King CFO, urged the PM to rely on the dates rather than data.
"The data say it is safe to confirm now the reopening of indoor hospitality on 17 May and the lifting of all social-distancing restrictions on hospitality on 21 June," they said.
They also said that keeping on track of the roadmap out of lockdown is vital as "government support for hospitality tapers away then, adding that without it "many businesses will be unviable."
READ MORE: Trial gig with no social distancing to pilot reopening of live events
It comes after new research showed the impact of parts of the hospitality sector reopening, with bookings across the country rising 105% this weekend.
According to TheFork, which was formerly known as Bookatable and is owned by Tripadvisor, London bookings climbed 220% compared to the ‘Super Saturday’ weekend of 4 and 5 July last year.
This was when the hospitality sector re-opened after the first lockdown in 2020.
Meanwhile the government is also trialing a live gig without social distancing ahead of the reopening of live events.
A Blossoms gig will be among the first live events without social distancing or face coverings allowed in the UK this year, as the nation gears up for a summer of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.
The vaccine rollout programme in the UK also continues to boost consumer confidence of being in public spaces.
As of 16 April, some 32.6 million people in the UK have received a first dose of the vaccine, while 9.4 million have been totally inoculated, according to the latest government data.
On Saturday, over 600,000 additional daily vaccine jabs were also administered, with 485,421 of them second doses.
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