Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recommended people stay away from these spaces, but stopped short of forcing their closure.
A new petition is asking the British government to follow the likes of France and Italy and order the closure of public spaces such as bars, clubs and cinemas during the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday the Prime Minister recommended that the general public avoid such spaces to help prevent the spread of the virus, but stopped short of ordering that they close. An open letter accompanying the petition claims that this means that many of these venues will be unable to recover lost revenue from their insurance companies which, in turn, could lead to staff losing their jobs and establishments closing for good.
The petition concludes with the following proposals:
“The government to pass emergency legislation to force public spaces such as pubs, clubs, theatres, cinemas, etc, to close during the period of COVID-19 so that they are able to claim on insurance policies to cover their loss of income.
The government to offer a package of emergency support to staff in the leisure industries affected by this legislation to ensure that loss of employment is minimised.
A further package of support to be offered to businesses to enable them to be able to reopen their doors once the virus is contained.”
The petition has picked up support on Twitter with the likes of Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh encouraging people to sign.