Just 1% of hospitality venues linked to NHS Test and Trace incidences, research finds

28-Oct-2020 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 13:04 GMT

Just 1% of hospitality venues across the UK have been linked to NHS Test and Trace incidences of Coronavirus, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the UK’s restaurant and pub trade bodies.

Respondents operating more than 22,500 restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK collectively reported only 275 NHS Test and Trace contact incidences – the equivalent to 1% of all venues surveyed - according to findings from a survey of UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping and the British Beer & Pub Association conducted this month by CGA.

Latest Public Health England data for week 43 also shows that hospitality was linked to just 2.7% of all Coronavirus cases in England.

The trade bodies say the new findings demonstrate that pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues are COVID-secure and are calling on the Government to consider removing the 10pm curfew on the sector.

“The evidence is clear that pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues are COVID-secure. Singling them out is simply illogical, counterproductive and grossly unfair,” says a spokesperson for the trade bodies.

“SAGE itself has called into question the effectiveness of the 10pm curfew and it is greatly harming our sector in medium risk areas. The Government must consider removing the curfew.”

Earlier this week Trade body UKHospitality renewed its calls for the Government to rethink the operating restrictions placed on businesses, after data showed an 'extremely low level' of transmission across the sector.

In its own survey of 568 businesses across 12,522 venues in the 14 weeks since reopening, operators reported only 780 customers had been infected with the virus, translating to 0.06 customer infections per venue.

It is estimated there have been 250 million customer visits in the premises surveyed across the 14 weeks.