Restaurants can't sell alcohol for collection in new lockdown

Restaurant businesses in England can no longer sell alcohol as part of click-and-collect services, or with takeaway orders, as part of the new rules in England's third national lockdown.

The latest wave of government measures intended to curb the spread of a new variant of Covid-19 were confirmed by Boris Johnson in a televised speech to the nation at 8pm on 4 January 2020.

People have been ordered to stay at home under full lockdown measures (with the exception of some reasons to travel permitted within law) until at least mid-February, while the vaccine programme gets underway to protect the country's most vulnerable.

All restaurants, regardless of regional tier allocation, must now close to all dine-in customers until further notice. Alcoholic drinks can still be ordered for delivery. 

Restaurants had previously been given permission to sell alcohol on-site during November's second national lockdown, provided it had been pre-ordered.

Everyone has been instructed to follow the new rules immediately, which will then come into law at 00.01am on Wednesday 6 January. 

Scotland enters fresh lockdown

Scots are also being asked to stay at home as part of a new national lockdown to battle the on-going spread of Covid-19 and its new strain.

New laws, outlined by first minister Nicola Sturgeon, require people to stay at home and work from home where possible.

The rules, which came into play from midnight 4 January, apply across the Scottish mainland until at least the end of January. Island areas will remain at level three.

Following the news, UKHospitality Scotland has reiterated its call for financial support to ensure that businesses survive.

“The fact that we are going into another lockdown is a clear sign that we are still a long way from normality,” says UKHospitality Scotland executive director Willie Macleod. “That means hospitality businesses are a long way from being able to begin to trade their way back to safety and keep jobs alive.

“UKHospitality acknowledges the growing incidence of virus transmission attributable to the ‘new’ virus strain and the need for measures to counter this until vaccinations get moving. In which case, it is crucial that the lockdown comes with the necessary financial support to keep businesses alive and jobs secure.”