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Great Britain in the Corona crisis"Sorry, we are closed"
Visiting a pub is an integral part of many Britons. The government has now closed all bars out of concern for the corona virus. In addition, the government wants to take over part of the salaries of troubled companies.
After initial hesitation, the British government is now also taking more stringent measures in the Corona crisis: all pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes in the country remain closed. Night clubs, theaters, cinemas, leisure centers and sports studios are also no longer allowed to operate. Most universities in the UK have already stopped teaching or switched to distance learning. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the new tightening will apply from Friday evening.
"I know we're doing something extraordinary, we're taking away the age-old and inalienable right of free-born people to go to the pub."
The people on the street showed understanding for the step. "This is not the end of the world," said a Harrogate resident of the pub closure. You will have to stay at home for a few weeks now, said a passerby. But the return afterwards is all the more beautiful.
Johnson said it was perfectly clear that social gatherings would need to be reduced by 75 percent. He wanted to make it absolutely clear that the government would also enforce closures.
Information sign on the door of a pub in London.
The British government had been heavily criticized for its long reluctance to deal with the Corona crisis. It was only after most of the EU countries that she called on people to avoid unnecessary travel and social contacts.
In the meantime, the British government has made a U-turn and has even announced that companies in crisis can apply to the UK government for the majority of their salaries. The state will provide up to 80 percent of a salary - a maximum of £ 2500 a month, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced. The commitment is valid for at least three months and will be extended if necessary.
The government also wrote to 65,000 doctors and nurses in the country who have been retired for a maximum of three years. They should help to compensate for the foreseeable shortage of staff in the hospitals. So far, around 3300 Corona cases have been registered in the UK, with just over 60,000 tests. However, experts suspect that due to this relatively small number of tests, the number of actual cases is much higher, possibly between 35,000 and 50,000.
