Covid: 'Immediate cancellations' over Omicron socialising advice

Hospitality venues in the North West say they had "immediate cancellations" after people were urged to "think carefully" about socialising due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

The prime minister gave the advice on Wednesday amid record UK Covid cases.

A hotel near Garstang said its phone was "the hottest thing" following the briefing, with 40 rooms cancelled.

A Merseyside venue also said the advice was "putting the burden" on individuals to decide whether to attend gigs.

The UK recorded 78,610 new Covid cases on Wednesday - the highest daily number reported since the start of the pandemic.

At the Downing Street briefing, Boris Johnson said he was not shutting pubs and restaurants but advised people to "think carefully before you go".

England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty urged the public not to "mix with people you don't have to" and warned more Covid records would be broken as the Omicron variant surges.

In Chorley, an entertainment venue said within five minutes of the briefing, "worried customers" had phoned up to axe their plans.

Managing director of Escape Entertainment, Ian Kearney, told BBC Radio Lancashire the venue had lost 25% of its December bookings so far which was "potentially catastrophic".

"In some cases [customers have] deferred to January which is ok but from last year's experience the appetite for a Christmas party in January has gone and you get cancellations," he said.

Mr Kearney is calling for financial support for the industry and said he felt the government was "tip-toeing around a lockdown".

"We are in limbo [while also] carrying significant losses from last year," he said.

Sean Wilkinson, from Guy's Thatched Hamlet in Bilsborrow near Garstang, said his hotel and restaurant complex lost 40 room bookings after the briefing.

"The phone was the hottest thing yesterday with people cancelling," he said.

"The government advice is contradictory because people have been told to work from home but to go out and meet people - this is normally a very busy time for our industry."

Live music venues across the North West are also counting the cost of the government advice.

Craig Pennington, from Birkenhead-based community live music venue Future Yard, said the government's "intangible" advice was "putting the burden" on individuals to decide whether to attend gigs.

"Essentially it is leaving local businesses to bear the brunt and is leaving us in a precarious position," he said.

"I think we are back to when the pandemic first started and we had that ludicrous situation where the PM said pubs, clubs bars and theatres are open but you are not to go to them, it is déjà vu.

"Its almost like it has fallen off a cliff edge with 60 to 70% cancellations."

Manchester-based celebrity party planner Liz Taylor said: "We cannot cancel Christmas again, we have to live with this."

The businesswoman, who has worked with Coronation Street staff and Manchester United, is still planning a prominent client's 80th birthday event this weekend, but the guest list has dropped from 100 to 75.

She said: "We've had no cancellations yet, but it's on a wing and a prayer.

"Anyone with half a brain gets boosted, wears a mask and gets on with it."

A Treasury spokesman said: "As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are closely monitoring the impact of the virus on the economy.

"Our £400bn Covid support package will continue to help businesses well into spring next year and of course we will continue to respond proportionately to the changing path of the virus."

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