Having enjoyed some respite over the summer, the UK is currently in the grip of a second wave of coronavirus. The government\u2019s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, has said the country could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without intervention, which could lead to “200-plus deaths per day” a month after that.<\/p>\n
Anxious to avoid a second lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced new \u201ctargeted\u201d measures on Tuesday, which included expanded rules on face coverings and an order that venues such as bars, pubs, restaurants, and casinos should close no later than 10 p.m.<\/p>\n
The evidence shows that the spread of the disease does tend to happen later at night, when more alcohol has been consumed,\u201d <\/strong>said Johnson, explaining the rationale behind the measures, which could be in place for the next six months. But critics say the move will be ineffective and deeply damaging to the economy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nFormer Labour lawmaker Dugher is incensed that the government\u2019s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport argued that casinos should be exempt from the curfew. They claimed that’s because they have already implemented a host of safety measures as a condition of their August reopening. But Johnson chose to ignore the advice.<\/p>\n
Room for Compromise? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nDugher has suggested that a scenario where casinos agree to close their bars and restaurants at 10 p.m. but keep the reels spinning into the night would be a reasonable compromise.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 10 p.m. curfew just risks encouraging young people to mix in households, where there is no track and trace, and spreading the virus further and faster,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if the London Mayor or Government want to close pubs and restaurants at 10 p.m., we can do that in the casinos, too, while continuing to provide a best-in-class COVID-secure environment. This might be a sensible compromise.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe alternative is the prospect of thousands of job losses, both in London and across the UK, and the permanent closure of some of the capital\u2019s most iconic casinos that can help power our much-needed economic recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A 10 p.m. curfew imposed on all leisure facilities across England could “signal the death knell\u201d for its casino industry, according to trade body the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC, said Tuesday that the new anti-coronavirus measures could lead to thousands of job losses for an industry that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":149752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
England's Covid Curfew is \u2018Death Knell\u2019 for Casinos: Industry Body<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n