Northern Ireland hospitality to return to table service after Christmas

Hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland will see further restrictions immediately after Christmas, including nightclubs having to close from 6am on Boxing Day, however no financial support has yet been confirmed.

From 26 December, dancing in all hospitality venues will not be allowed (except for weddings or civil partnership celebrations) and indoor standing events will not be allowed.

Then, from 6am on 27 December, it will be “strongly recommended” that household mixing be reduced to a maximum of three households.

There will be a legal requirement for businesses to take reasonable measures to achieve two-metre social distancing in office spaces or, where this cannot be achieved, to provide alternative mitigations.

People will be encouraged to work from home where possible and, where that is not possible there should be regular workplace testing.

There will be a statutory duty on businesses to take reasonable measures to promote compliance with face coverings requirements, with a grace period until 7 January before enforcement is implemented.

Hospitality will once more be restricted to table service only, with tables of a maximum of six people, or 10 people from a single household (not including children aged 12 and under and this will also not apply to weddings or civil partnership celebrations).

Indoor seated and all outdoor events will be able to proceed and face coverings and pre-event lateral flow tests will be encouraged. There should also be no multi-household travel in the same vehicle.

The Executive said that it recognised “the enormous strain being felt by businesses throughout this difficult period, including the hospitality sector and its workers” and that it was “developing a financial support package based on the circumstances and challenges facing businesses”, but this is not expected to be discussed until 30 December.

A statement from the Executive added that it would continue to press the Treasury for adequate financial support and the reintroduction of the furlough scheme “should this be required”.

Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, said announcing businesses closure without knowing what financial support was available, was “contemptable” and showed “no consideration for staff and business owners”.

“It’s not acceptable to have to wait until 30 December and have so many people worrying over the holiday period,” he said, adding: “We have worked hard and tried our best to secure financial support and will continue to work to secure the support needed now, and a stimulus for recovery.”

Photo: Shutterstock