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RNS Number : 5718F
Wetherspoon (JD) PLC
16 July 2021
16 July 2021
J D WETHERSPOON PLC
Further COVID-19 Update announcement
The Government has said that most legal restrictions to control
COVID-19 will be lifted on 19 July 2021.
Since uncertainty remains as to the future impact of COVID-19,
Wetherspoon has decided to revert to the successful measures which
were agreed between local authorities, health authorities,
licensing authorities and other parties, when pubs reopened in
England, after the first lockdown, in July 2020.
The company will therefore:
-- retain floor screens between tables in pubs and till-surround screens on bar serveries.
-- retain hand sanitizers at the entrance and at various
locations around the customer area of the pub, as well as in staff
areas.
-- maintain increased cleaning of contact points.
-- maintain directional signage for entrances and exits etc.
-- continue to encourage pubs to increase natural ventilation by
keeping doors and windows open as much as possible.
-- continue to complete a short questionnaire for each employee
before the start of a shift to check temperature and for
symptoms.
-- encourage customers to use the order and pay apps to reduce
contact at the bar, although, they will be able to order at the
bar.
-- maintain internal capacity in pubs at the same levels as
today, limiting the numbers of customers to the number of
seats.
-- maintain current reduced capacity limits for employees in
staff rooms and "back-of-house" areas.
-- continue to use "single-use" mustard, ketchup etc. sachets instead of larger containers.
-- continue to use disposable food menus.
-- continue to prop open internal doors, including main doors to
lavatories, where possible, to minimise contact points.
Modifications to current restrictions
The following restrictions will be modified:
-- face masks, will be made available for employees, and
customers and employees will be able to wear them at their
discretion.
-- group sizes will not be limited to six, as currently applies.
-- the NHS Test & Trace system, or paper forms, will be
retained for customers who wish to record visits, on a voluntary
basis.
Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said:
"When pubs reopened after the first lockdown, in July last year,
a sensible set of measures, as outlined above, was agreed between
the hospitality industry, the health authorities and other
interested parties, which kept transmission in hospitality venues
at low levels.
"Wetherspoon had over 50 million customer visits, recorded
through the Test and Trace system, in the second half of 2020
without a single reported example of an "outbreak" among customers,
as defined by the health authorities.
"As UK Hospitality, the British institute of Innkeepers and the
British Beer and Pub Association said in October last year, "of
22,500 .... hospitality venues surveyed, just 1% said they were
linked by NHS test and trace to an incident".
"While risks from COVID-19 cannot be eliminated completely, we
believe that the July 2020 guidelines are a sensible backstop for
the industry and strike a fair balance between health, employment
and the economy.
"It is hoped that arbitrary and capricious government rules,
which have been a regular feature in recent months, such as the
requirement for substantial meals, curfews and table service, which
have no scientific provenance, can be avoided in future. These
sorts of rules damage the economy, are extraordinarily difficult
for pub staff to implement and are invariably regarded by customers
as absurd."
Ends.
Enquiries:
John Hutson Chief Executive Officer 07970 477377
Ben Whitley Finance Director 07970 477428
Eddie Gershon Company Spokesman 07956 392234
Please send any questions by email to
investorqueries@jdwetherspoon.co.uk
Notes to editors
1. J D Wetherspoon owns and operates pubs throughout the UK. The
company aims to provide customers with good-quality food and drink,
served by well-trained and friendly staff, at reasonable prices.
The pubs are individually designed, and the company aims to
maintain them in excellent condition.
2. Visit our website: www.jdwetherspoon.com
3. This announcement has been prepared solely to provide
additional information to the shareholders of J D Wetherspoon, to
meet the requirements of the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency
Rules. It should not be relied on by any other party, for any other
purposes. Forward-looking statements have been made by the
directors in good faith, using information available up until the
date on which they approved this statement. Forward-looking
statements should be regarded with caution, because of the inherent
uncertainties in economic trends and business risks.
4. The current financial year comprises 52 trading weeks to 25 July 2021.
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