Wetherspoon infection rate ‘proves pubs risk is low’

Pub company Wetherspoon reports that it has had approximately 32m customer visits to its 861 pubs since reopening, with 66 positive tests for covid-19 among its 41,564 employees.

The majority of pubs (811) have reported zero positive tests, 40 pubs have reported one, six pubs two, two pubs three and two pubs four.

Most of the reported cases have been mild or asymptomatic and 28 of the 66 employees have already returned to work, after self-isolating in accordance with medical guidelines.

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said this was evidence that claims from scientists that pubs are “dangerous places to be” were inaccurate.

He said there was strong scientific evidence showing handwashing and social distancing, as practised by most pubs, was effective.

Martin said while hospitality venues had strict measures in place to ensure they are covid-free, private household gatherings were much more likely places to pass on the virus.

He said: “There have been more positive cases at one farm in Hereford than at all Wetherspoon pubs- and over four times as many at one sandwich-making facility in Northampton.

“Wetherspoon has invested around £15m on comprehensive social distancing and hygiene measures. These include reducing capacity, spacing out tables, the installation of screens between tables and around tills, and an average of ten hand sanitisers per pub.

“If pubs are closed, or restricted so much that they become unprofitable, a great deal of the strenuous effort of the hospitality industry’s 3.2m employees, currently engaged on upholding hygiene and social distancing standards, will be lost - leaving the public to socialise at home or elsewhere, in unsupervised circumstances.

“Although it is clearly possible for covid-19 infections to take place in pubs and shops, the evidence indicates that the risk is low, provided social distancing and hygiene rules are followed, and common sense is used.”