SCIENTISTS have “no hard evidence” that a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants actually stops the spread of coronavirus, Patrick Vallance admitted today.
The Chief Scientific adviser admitted that when people are in booze-fuelled locations, the risk of spread did increase, but was unable to say that any particular time limits were helpful.
The 10pm curfew was brought in in September as part of new national measures to try and prevent another lockdown.
People across the UK have been banned from ordering food or drink after 10pm to stop the spread of the virus.
But the hated curfew was pushed back after the Tiers system came back in at the start of December.
People can now stay until 11pm to finish up their drinks and head off, to avoid crowds of people all leaving at once.
But pubs in Tier 2 now can only serve booze alongside food – and people from different households have to sit outside.
Speaking to MPs on the Commons science committee today, Sir Patrick was asked if there is specific modelling to show whether COVID-secure measures pubs, bars and restaurants have taken in the UK have made a difference to infection rates.
He replied: “There’s no really hard evidence on curfew times…it’s not something you can model with a degree of accuracy and say, a particular time will give you a particular result.”
However, pubs have warned they are still at risk of going under as a result of tough restrictions.
Pubs in Tier 3 have to shut altogether, except for doing takeaway food and drink.
Elsewhere in the session:
- Chris Whitty said there would be as many as FOUR vaccines for use in the UK in the summer
- But they may only give immunity for up to nine months – though he hoped it would be longer
- He couldn’t rule out further lockdowns being needed even after the rollout of the vaccine – with restrictions set to stay until the spring at least
